


West of Words

by Kato_Holmes



Series: The Varian Bane Duology [1]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Alec Lightwood Deserves Nice Things, Alternate Universe - Angels & Demons, Angels, Downworlder Dad Magnus Bane, Gay Male Character, Hey it's not canon, Inspired by Shadowhunters (TV), Kissing in the Rain, M/M, Magnus Bane Deserves Nice Things, Original Character(s), Post-Book Series: The Mortal Instruments, Protective Alec Lightwood, little bit of violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-03
Updated: 2020-07-03
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:41:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 57
Words: 66,479
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25042558
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kato_Holmes/pseuds/Kato_Holmes
Summary: Varian Fairchild was raised in the Shadow World by his adopted father Magnus Bane, and he wouldn't have it any other way. From creating magical solutions to mundane problems and helping Downworlders in times of need, he is really living the life he's always wanted.Until a group of Shadowhunters come knocking on his door with an injured werewolf, and he's suddenly pushed further into a world he never thought he'd have.--------------Shadowhunters Seasons 1-3(Alec x Male OC)(Clary x Jace)(Simon x Izzy slowburn)
Relationships: Alec Lightwood/Original Male Character(s), Clary Fray/Jace Wayland, Simon Lewis/Isabelle Lightwood
Series: The Varian Bane Duology [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1813645
Kudos: 31





	1. Chapter 1

Varian Fairchild was decidedly happy.

Out of every outlook on life that he could have, he chooses optimism. It is so much easier to recognize how others are struggling when your mind is clear from worry.

Varian is simply put, an Empath.

He can sense the emotions of everyone around him, and while in a lot situations he finds it a pleasant thing, it can be very overwhelming. Which is why he has his shop.

Le Petit Feu is a bakery, a cafe, and a bookstore, it's literally everything he's always loved. His regulars love the shop just as much as him, and tended to not be bothered by the odd hours he's open. Whether it's from a much normal time of 10 a.m to 6 p.m, or a much worse time like 3 p.m to 4:30 p.m on every second Sunday for two months.

It appears as what everyone needs right when they need it, including for Varian. Most days it distracts him from everything else going on in his life and he finds it peaceful.

That is until something happens (as it always does) to mess up the peace and stability in his life.

Sometimes it was a demon attack, or a pack member in need, a vampire stuck in the sun, or a Seelie whose beauty was marred. Varian helps however he can, but he's no Warlock.

He's the opposite in fact, despite who raised him. His father, or, adoptive father is Magnus Bane, the High Warlock of Brooklyn, and he's the one to raise him in such a way to be a friend to everyone.

The part that makes him an opposite is the blood that runs through his veins. His dad is half demon-blooded and half-human. Varian is suppose to be half-Angel, half-human, but at a young age he was experimented on by the father he never knew which left him with more Angel blood than human, and a few extra gifts as well. Including the rare fact that he was a Secondhand Warlock, something that made him unique in every aspect of life.

And Varian wasn't ashamed of this fact.

Sure, he wasn't exactly open about it, but he wasn't ashamed. Those that know him well know his story to some degree, and that's how he'd like to leave it.

He knows his past, and if anything he wishes he didn't.

Varian Fairchild is from a long line of proud Shadowhunters, until his mother married his father and he led the family astray. None of this was a secret to Varian, Magnus told him everything at the age of seven, (because he's always hated lying), and every choice afterwards was Varian's, and Magnus has always promised to believe in whatever decision he makes.

And Varian decided to be who he was today. He saw no reason to join the Shadowhunters, and so he didn't. It's really quite simple.

But given the fact that Shadowhunters are naturally agile and built for fighting he couldn't ignore that part of him forever. So he boxes, and spars, and fences, and does anything to burn the excess energy that he has.

He trained in that way, and in the way of magic, his baba taught him everything he knew, but that didn't mean there wasn't more to learn.

And suddenly his neighbor above him dropped something, or made some loud noise and Varian was on edge, his thoughts interrupted by the sudden noise and everything in him poised to listen. He reached out, mentally of course, feeling the emotions of his neighbors around him to see if any bore any hostility towards him or anyone in the building.

It came away clear, and he couldn't help but visibly relax, pressing his hands into the counter top to push himself up and grab something off the top shelf. Varian sighed when he landed back on the ground, shaking the box of tea in his hand as he moved towards his kettle.

His apartment was reasonably quiet, given the fact that he was the only person who lived there, the only real sound coming from the kettle as it started to boil and the very old record player in the corner of his living room. A gift from his baba when he moved in a nearly two years ago.

The kettle clicked off, and moments later Varian was holding a steaming cup of earl gray and was making his way into the back room of his apartment. The one room that technically wasn't suppose to be there and only existed because of Varian's baba enchanting the room for him.

It was a work room of sorts.

The walls were decorated with scraps of papers from throughout his life, potions he created, spells that he made for his baba, everything in the room had a purpose. It was his side job, and the job that tended to bring in a little more money than his mundane job.

Varian usually has a steady stream of clients, a various mixture of Seelie, Vampires, Werewolves, and the occasional Shadowhunter, though rarely do they seek the assistance of who they believe to be Downworlders.

And those times that his baba shows up at his door unannounced and looking for help?

Entirely free, not that Varian exactly minded, he loves what he does, plus his father always replenishes his supplies after asking for a favor.

Just as Varian started to work (he had barely had a few sips of his tea) when he was interrupted by a pounding on his door.

It was an aggressive kind of pounding, but there was no true aggression behind it. The sound echoed through his apartment, but did not tamper with the wards in a way that was threatening. Varian set his cup of tea down, maybe a bit to hard, and started to the front door of his apartment.

He paused by the door, looking through the little peep hole before smiling brightly.

"I'd like to think your visit was friendly baba." Varian had barely opened the door before the sarcastic line left his mouth, and suddenly the humor was gone from his eyes. By opening the door he was flooded with emotions from the group that accompanied his baba. Confusion, worry, fear, but above it all pain.

It was overbearing, so much so that Varian had to struggle to push it all away and get to work. Varian moved quickly, pulling the door the rest of the way open but stopping himself from stepping outside of his wards.

"In, in." Varian motioned for them to come inside, before making his way as fast as he could into the living room. He cursed himself under his breath for buying a white couch, but ignored that, moving to throw all of the pillows off to make a space for the injured member of the party.

Varian turned, looking at those that joined his baba with what he wished was a hopeful smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick Note:
> 
> Right so, a "Secondhand Warlock" is something of my own design that fits into the world of Shadowhunters.
> 
> The idea goes, that if a Downworlder or Nephilium renounces their family and is taken in by a Warlock. Which is a rare situation, as Vampire's, Werewolves, and Seelie's have their own packs that take the place of families in certain situations.
> 
> But either way, if someone from the Shadow World were to renounce their family and be taken in by a Warlock, that Warlock can make the decision to "bless" them with powers. In a way, it's a overexposure to magic growing up that gives these adopted people the ability to perform magic. The stronger the magic of the Warlock raising the child, the stronger the powers are that the child has. But not ever adoption ends up like this, sometimes they're raised with no magical influence, it just depends on who the parent is.
> 
> In the case of Varian Fairchild, he was raised from the age of four by Magnus Bane, the High Warlock of Brooklyn. When Varian was seven, Magnus informed him about the situation that brought Varian into his care and Varian made the choice that Magnus was his only family.
> 
> From that moment on, Varian was exposed to Magnus' magic, and learned how to do magic while growing up. In the end, Varian can preform magic as long as Magnus is alive and can still perform magic.
> 
> He is of course still learning how to control it all and can have little outbursts of magic. Varian's magic is colored lilac when he is in complete control, and black when he is loosing control.


	2. Chapter 2

Varian watched two of the three teenagers move as they set the man down on the couch. Varian helped as needed, propping his head up and avoiding skin to skin contact in a careful way.

He looked at the wounds on the mans chest closely, ignoring the worry basically rolling off of the teenagers. He couldn't concentrate on them now, he could barely remember their faces, all Varian could think about is the extremely injured man laying on his couch.

But the wounds looked familiar, and he pushed himself to his feet, moving around those that stood in the room and scanning his shelves for what he needs. Varian couldn't tell if someone was speaking, some part of him just wanted to shout for them to stop feeling but he pushed it away, concentrating on the damn wood that he couldn't find.

"Fuck," the word left his mouth before he could really think about it, and suddenly he remembered. Varian moved quicker than normal, making his way into his kitchen and attempting to pull himself up high enough to reach what he needed to. "You!" He shouted suddenly, rounding the corner and pointing his finger at the tallest of the group. A dark haired unmarked Shadowhunter (presumably a mundane), and though he did not look close enough at everyone else, he recognize the fact that the others were Shadowhunters.

The dark haired boy came without an issue, and did as Varian instructed, reaching for what he needed in an easy way. Varian took it in both hands, careful to not touch to much of the wood as he moved back into the living room. His baba knew what he was doing the second he rejoined them, and Magnus Bane helped in opening the mouth of the injured Werewolf so Varian could place the wood in between his teeth.

Varian turned, pleased with what that would do to help, before he finally concentrated on those that had joined his baba in the apartment.

They were nearly all Shadowhunters, as he had already noticed, but that was all that he could tell. Until he got to the last in the line, the little red head that seemed to have worry rolling off of her in droves, and Varian recognized her instantly.

Clarrissa Fairchild, but like most things that had happened in the past ten minutes, he pushed it away and decided to deal with it at another time.

"And who are your guests baba?" Varian smiled as he spoke, the British accent that he had just barely breaking the surface.

Magnus Bane flourished as he introduced the Shadowhunters standing next to him.

"Isabelle Lightwood, and Clary Fray, Shadowhunters as you can see, and Simon Lewis, a mundane." Varian smiled, avoiding the hand that the mundane stretched towards him for a handshake and just nodding, and pressing a hand to his chest.

"I am Varian." He did not want to give his last name, and he had no obligation too. Varian turned to look down at the man sprawled across the couch. "The bark will stop his transformation for now. But he needs an antidote, not a temporary cure, and I don't have the ingredients here."

The mundane spoke first, attempting to sound brave and like he knew what he was doing. He was nerdy, and attempted to give off an easy and relaxed vibe. But Varian could see right through it, he was much more worried than he'd like to appear. "Just tell me what you need and how to get it."

There was a micro-movement, something so small that most wouldn't notice, but Varian always noticed. A twitch of his eyes towards the small redhead Shadowhunter made Varian realize the connection.

Varian started to share the necessary ingredients with him but stopped when a low pulse passed through the room. The door to his flat came swinging open and in entered a brand new figure. A Shadowhunter, and a familiar looking one at that. Varian noticed the cut above his eye, and watched as the two Shadowhunters approached the man in a concerned way.

"Jace, what happened to you?" The little red-head asked, and Varian wondered the same thing as he left the room. Varian could just barely hear the response ("Luke's car may have found his way into a pole as I was stashing it.") It made him smile, but he ignored it as he looked across his shelves, already aware that he didn't have the necessary ingredients.

When he stepped back into the living room the group was waiting, most with concerned looks.

"What do you need for the antidote?" The blonde one, Jace, asked not actually looking at Varian as he spoke.

"Moon Salt, Idris Fulgurite, Pheonix Eyes, preferably the left ones. and a piece of a previously never broken stained glass window." Varian closed his eyes as he thought about it, listing the list before opening his eyes and smiling in a hopefully encouraging way.

"That's specific." The boy Jace said it with a snort, and Simon Lewis the mundane nodded confidently as he spoke.

"One trip to the pharmacy, it'll take two seconds." Varian did not want to correct the boy, instead he turned to face the Werewolf on his sofa kneeling at his side before reaching his hand out to the man's forehead.

His palm pressed onto the man's forehead and he internally winced at how hot the skin was. Seconds after he touched him, the Werewolf began to scream, and Varian was really glad that he had his wards. Varian's eyes screwed shut, as he reached into the man's mind and prodded at the pain center. It began to unfurl, and the Werewolf on his couch started to relax.

Varian stood, turning to face his baba and the others, happy they had finally stopped arguing. 

"A glass window?" Varian looked at the boy who spoke, smiling at the confused look he had.

"Yes, preferably from a church. Overtime it's embedded with blessings and good will." Varian glanced down at his hands as he spoke, mentally preparing himself for the exhaustion that would creep in when he started to heal the Werewolf on his couch.

The others in the room nodded, sending the male Shadowhunter and the mundane on their way with the ask of getting another Shadowhunter as they went. There was a tension in the room, a distinct feeling of not wanting to do that came from the blonde Shadowhunter as they left the room.

It was silent, as if the two young women didn't know what to say. The darker haired one, Isabelle was looking Varian up and down in a way that would have made anyone (other than Varian) blush. There was a near hostility coming from the smaller girl at her side, like she felt threatened. Varian purposefully avoided eye contact, knowing that this girl was much more than a simple Shadowhunter.

"Tea, anyone?" Varian offered, in a way of easing the tension. He brushed past the two Shadowhunters, moving to the kitchen yet still feeling the eyes of the red head on his back.

She was, after all, his twin sister, and the resemblance was noticeable, if Varian hadn't recently dyed his hair a dark purple, temporarily of course. The confusion and near hostility that radiated off of her was overpowering, and as his baba joined him in the kitchen to help Varian pressed a hand into his baba's arm, borrowing his calmness in an attempt to push away Clarissa's overpowering emotions.

"Thank you." Varian muttered to him, before releasing his baba's arm and taking two of the cups of tea. He approached Clarissa, passing the cup to her in a way that hopefully displayed that he meant her no harm.

She hesitated when she reached for it, but accepted it nonetheless. Isabelle gaze landed back on Varian as she started to drink her tea.

"So who are you? A Warlock?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick Note:
> 
> Right so, a "Secondhand Warlock" is something of my own design that fits into the world of Shadowhunters.
> 
> The idea goes, that if a Downworlder or Nephilium renounces their family and is taken in by a Warlock. Which is a rare situation, as Vampire's, Werewolves, and Seelie's have their own packs that take the place of families in certain situations.
> 
> But either way, if someone from the Shadow World were to renounce their family and be taken in by a Warlock, that Warlock can make the decision to "bless" them with powers. In a way, it's a overexposure to magic growing up that gives these adopted people the ability to perform magic. The stronger the magic of the Warlock raising the child, the stronger the powers are that the child has. But not ever adoption ends up like this, sometimes they're raised with no magical influence, it just depends on who the parent is.
> 
> In the case of Varian Fairchild, he was raised from the age of four by Magnus Bane, the High Warlock of Brooklyn. When Varian was seven, Magnus informed him about the situation that brought Varian into his care and Varian made the choice that Magnus was his only family.
> 
> From that moment on, Varian was exposed to Magnus' magic, and learned how to do magic while growing up. In the end, Varian can preform magic as long as Magnus is alive and can still perform magic.
> 
> He is of course still learning how to control it all and can have little outbursts of magic. Varian's magic is colored lilac when he is in complete control, and black when he is loosing control.


	3. Chapter 3

Varian smiled, something that he does when he isn't sure what to say, he starts to walk back to his work room the others following him and waiting for whatever he has to say. He takes a mortar and pestle from the shelf, setting it delicately on the table and accepting the snake scales his baba passes over.

"Like I said, my name is Varian, and I am a Warlock." Varian lets his baba take over grinding the scales as he wanders around the room grabbing various ingredients as needed. He could see the small smile on his baba's face at what he said. "And, I am also a Shadowhunter."

It was spoken so flippantly, so over the shoulder, like it was a normal thing to be. Like if the mundane were to simply state 'I am a mundane' to a Vampire or demon. Varian could feel the simple acceptance that they had taken, before the pair of them instantly second guessed themselves.

"What?" It was in union, and would have been funny if a shout from the Werewolf hadn't suddenly started shouting in pain.

The samnoya bark wasn't holding as much as Varian would have liked, and as he practically sprinted into the room he started to concentrate on the healing that he would need to do. A faint emerald green started to come from his hands, and as he fell to his knees beside the man he glanced over his shoulder.

"The faster that is finished baba, the better the results." They both knew it was useless without the other ingredients, but the meaning was still there.

Varian held his hands above the man, one above his heart, and the other hovering over the worst of the injury. A silence passed over the room as Varian's eyes fell shut and he concentrated solely on the man in front of him.

The green left his hands in a soothing way, spreading in a blanket like way across the injuries, but the second the green touched the mans body Varian tensed up. His shoulders set firm and toes curling as he let this gift leave him without so much as a fight.

He let the gift run wild, pressing into every part of the man's body that was hurting and doing whatever it could to ease it. The shouting of pain was few and far between, but his face still contorted into pain if Varian let up even slightly.

Varian couldn't concentrate on the conversation around him, but he could feel the emotions without wanting to. His baba was concerned, as he usually is when Varian is doing something like this. Clarissa concern isn't focused on Varian, but rather the Werewolf that he was trying to heal, and worry for the boys that had left the room. He couldn't sense the third member of the party, she must have stepped outside.

A dull ache started to form at the base of his spine, and Varian tried his best to ignore it.

Time went on, and he began to wish more than anything that the Werewolf held on just a little longer, that he could have withstood the pain for just a little longer. But he knows there was nothing the man could do.

And as Varian held his hands above the man, flashes of his life and who he was passed through Varian's mind, but not in the way that it would happen to most. Not like when his baba looked through peoples minds and could see images, full and fantastic ones. Varian could only see colors.

The bright red of someones hair, the dark color of the Werewolf's skin. The fierceness of a Circle rune on evils necks, the man right along side them. The attack that changed the man into who he was today.

It was harsh and overpowering, and Varian could feel himself start to dwindle.

His energy starting to deplete, and suddenly there was someone beside him. Kneeling on the ground and offering his hand. It was his baba and Varian shook his head, turning back to the man currently getting blood on his couch. Every time Varian was able to use his gifts to put a wound back together it would tear once again, the process would repeat, and he wasn't sure how long this would last.

"Take my hand Birdie." His baba's voice was soft, and Varian could feel himself start to shake. He wanted to, more than anything.

"You-" his voice was raspy, so much of his energy was going into this Werewolf, but he forced himself to speak. "You'll need to make the poultice, and you can't do that with me-"

Varian felt himself start to choke on some object that wasn't there, he stopped talking instead turning back to his hands and forcing himself to hold his hands steady. The green that was bright and emerald just a half hour ago when he had started all of this, was duller now. An olive green rather than emerald, and Varian knew how much of a tole this was taking on him, but he ignored it, willing himself to continue.

A loud bang sounded, and Varian flinched, temporarily loosing his hold on the pain the Werewolf was in. His baba disappeared from his side, and Varian felt empty.

It was minutes before anything happened in his line of sight again. A dark-haired boy appeared alongside his baba, helping to open the Werewolf's mouth and dropping the poultice in. Varian's hands were shaking harder now, and he tried to breath in, the air catching in his throat.

The wounds would heal now, but Varian could barely breathe. The toll that attempting to heal the Werewolf was great, and he felt himself sink lower into the ground, his hands faltering above the body.

"Take my hand Varian." His baba's tone of voice and use of his name told Varian that this wasn't up for debate, and yet Varian still shook his head. If he drained his baba Varian would feel awful for days about it.

The vague question of 'what does he need?' was asked, and suddenly the dark haired Shadowhunter was beside him in a closer way. His hand was palm up, and ever so close to touching Varian's. 

"Take what you need." His voice was like honey, and when Varian looked over at him, struggling to keep his eyes open, he barely hesitated before interlocking their fingers.

And then there was a surge of energy in Varian, but more than that, a surge of emotions that were not his own. Varian forced himself to concentrate, the green pouring from his hands was closer to emerald, and if he had the energy Varian would have smiled.

The wounds began to pulse, a dark sludge leaving them as Varian worked. His baba collected it all with an easy wave of his hand, and then the Werewolf relaxed.

The sudden lack of tension affected Varian, his hands fell to the floor, the left still intertwined with the Shadowhunters. Varian's eyes drooped shut, his whole body collapsing to the floor, or what would have been the floor if the dark-haired man next to him hadn't acted as fast as he did. He pulled Varian to his chest, holding his torso in an awkward way.

The last image that Varian saw was of the boy with the blue eyes and Shadowhunter runes.


	4. Chapter 4

It took Varian an hour to wake up and the dark haired Shadowhunter with the blue eyes was gone, much to his disappointment.

His head was throbbing, and his eyes were tired. He pulled himself into a seated position, not surprised to find his baba pacing across the doorway to his room, the light blue of his magic threading through the air as he anxiously waited.

"Baba." Varian spoke, his voice soft but still able to catch his attention. His baba turned, smiling brightly as he approached his son on the bed.

"How are you feeling?" It was spoken with a flourish, but Varian could see his father was concerned more than anything else. Varian ignored the question, pushing himself to the side of the bed and starting to stand. His baba tried to stop him, to tell him that he could rest longer, but Varian ignored it.

He struggled to stand, and once his baba realized that Varian's stubbornness would prevail he helped him to stand. Varian shivered involuntarily, the effects of being drained showing itself in his low body temperature. His baba snapped his fingers, a blanket making his way around Varian's shoulders. Varian smiled in thanks, moving to the door with uneasy steps, his baba there every step of the way to make sure he doesn't fall.

Varian made his way to the Werewolf, sensing his presence in a magically produced room across the apartment. He could feel the emotions coming from the other side of the door, anger, resentment, worry, but above all concern. Varian knocked before entering.

Clarissa was sitting on the edge of the bed, smiling at the Werewolf who was sitting up, the look of laughter in his eyes.

"How are you feeling-" Varian wanted to ask the man by name, but realized that he did not in fact know it. Varian flushed, feeling embarrassed but the man didn't mind. He smiled at the boy before offering his name.

"Luke Garroway."

The name was familiar, and Varian spoke again. "Lucian Graymark."

The Werewolf's smile faltered, "I haven't been called that in a long time."

"Sorry." Varian stepped towards the edge of the bed, motioning to the bandages across his chest in a way of asking permission to touch the man. Luke nodded, and Varian began to unwrap the bandages. "Are you in pain?"

"No."

Varian could see the lie, black and grey and apparent on his skin. He pressed a hand onto Luke's head, ignoring the sound of protest that the Werewolf made, as he unraveled the bunch of nerves in his head that was telling him he was in pain. Luke visibly relaxed, a soft sigh leaving his mouth.

"That should help." Varian took three steps back, avoiding the look that Luke was giving him as he smiled at Clarissa. "Tell me if he starts to hurt again." Varian did not trust that the Werewolf would tell him if he was in pain. Varian started to turn towards the door, pulling the blanket around his shoulders a bit more as he went.

"You look familiar. Have we met?" Luke's voice was different than the first time he had spoken, more relaxed then in pain.

Varian looked sad, at the memory of their first meeting. "Once, when I was a kid." He turned to face the man, forcing a smile onto his face as he did. "The name's Varian."

"Varian." A light gray appeared around the man, confusion. He was trying to place the name, but Varian had already left by the time he did. He stepped back into the living room, noticing someone bent over his no-longer bright white couch, scrubbing at it viciously.

"You know I have magic for that." Varian sat in one of his armchairs, tucking his leg under him as he did.

The man turned, startled for less than a second, before relaxing. "I didn't really think about it." He set the cloth into a bowl, before setting the bowl on the coffee table.

It was the mundane, Simon, he looked wary. Like all of this was a mystery to him. It probably was.

"How long have you known?" Varian picked at the edge's of his blanket as he waited for the mundane to respond.

"Known?" He looked confused, before recognition passed over his face. "Oh, about the whole Shadow-world-thingy? Uh," he chuckled anxiously, "like three months. It's, a lot to take in."

Varian smiles, "It can be." He wiggles his fingers, the bloodstain disappearing from the couch and a mug of tea appearing in his hands. "Tea? Cocoa? Coffee?" He offers the mundane.

"Uh, cocoa, please." Simon yelps when a mug appears in his hands, but is excited by the idea of having magically produced cocoa. "Thanks." He takes a seat on the couch, perching himself on the edge of it as silence falls on the room. Simon's eyes glance around the room in awe.

"You can ask questions." Varian smiles as the mundane suddenly looks very excited as he takes a sip of his cocoa.

"Are you really a Warlock? Can you do anything? Did you like pull this from another dimension? Or make it really quick?" Simon looks like he's in his zone as he continues to ask about anything and everything. "Did you know Winston Churchill? Is Magnus really your dad?"

"Okay, so, slow down." Varian chuckles, taking a sip of his tea while forming his reply. "Yes, within reason. The cocoa is from my cafe, I am not that old, and yes, he is."

"How come he didn't mention you last time we met him?" Simon asked, and I shrugged as a response.

"I didn't know you had all met before." In reality, he was more annoyed than he was letting on.

His baba tells him everything, and after apparently meeting Clarissa at least one time before there wasn't a reason to tell him this. It was an annoyance that he could over look, but an annoyance nonetheless.

The door to the room that Luke was in banged against the wall as it opened. A fuming Clarissa stormed out, and she seemed to not notice Varian as she went straight for Simon with a frustrated sigh.

"I have a brother my mother never told me about!" She sounded angry, and Simon stood to his feet, setting his mug on the coffee table stepping towards Clarissa.

"I'm sorry Clary."

Clary, Varian made a mental note of the fact that she preferred that nickname.

"I mean, not telling me about the Shadow World is one thing, but not telling me about my own brother." Clary sighed aggressively. "That's even worse."

Varian felt awful about the fact that Jocelyn had lied for her for so long, as he personally hated lying, but didn't feel ready to tell her the truth. "And what would you say if you knew who it was?"

"Nothing, he died when I was a toddler." Clary didn't sound remorseful about the fact that her brother was dead, and Varian sighed, pulling himself from the armchair.

"I'll make myself scarce in my own living room then." Varian started towards his workroom, but paused when Clary spoke again.

"Uh, Varian. Thank you, for Luke."

Varian smiled over his shoulder. "You're welcome, Clarissa Fairchild." He ignored the confusion that filled the room as he left it.


	5. Chapter 5

Varian was in his workroom when the red head announce very loudly that she knew where the cup was.

Now, Varian could only assume what she was talking about. But he didn't care, his focus had moved onto making a potion to bring his energy back. His baba working along side him, poking and prodding at the work that he was doing.

"Why didn't you tell me you had seen her again?" Varian spoke without looking at his baba, his concentration on the potion in front of him.

His baba sighed, leaning against the table top as he sipped his martini. Varian does not drink, but his baba does, significantly, so Varian keeps a cart stocked with liquor just for him. "I didn't know how to."

"Just as simple as, 'hey Birdie, you remember how your mum gave you to me when you were just a toddler but kept your sister, yep, just saw your sister. She seems great.'" The sarcasm was basically dripping from Varian's voice as he looked over at his baba. "Anything other than showing up at my house unannounced with-"

"Magnus!" Clary interrupted from the living room.

"Her." Varian finished, nodding his head towards the door for his baba to go ahead and go. He watched him leave, before turning back to his mixture and adding the last few ingredients. He poured into a cup, cringing before downing the entire thing.

It started at the base of his spine, the feeling of comfort, before moving into his shoulders and chest. Varian snaps the fingers on his left hand, smiling at the bright lilac that poured from his palm, a strong color once again.

He starts towards the door, waving a hand over his shoulder to clean the room, before stepping into the living room and watch his baba speak to Clary. Varian missed the first part of the conversation, but from what he could tell the girl was not getting what she wanted.

"For a portal to work I would have had to been there before, and I," His baba chuckles dryly. " I haven't been inside a prison since 1789 when France decided they didn't want to be ruled. So I can't help you there, but, I do know one Warlock that's been in your precinct."

Varian sighed as he leaned up against the door frame, watching his baba turn to look at him. Varian smiled, trying not to laugh. "It was one time baba, let it go." Varian shook his head, pushing off of the door frame and moving towards the couch. "I guess I can help, but I've only ever been in the holding cell, so maybe you should get your Werewolf friend to try first."

"Luke." His baba offered the name, and Varian nodded, sitting down on the couch and propping his head up as he tried to not fall asleep.

"Luke." Varian repeated with a nod. The sideways clomp of someone walking with a limp alerted Varian to the presence of the Werewolf joining them. Varian looked at him, turning the ring on his hand as he waited for the man to ask for help.

He could see the pain radiating off of him, just like before, but he seemed to be doing better. Which Varian was quick to chop up to the Werewolf healing that he had gained. Varian sighed, annoyed that he had not yet asked for help even though it was extremely apparent that he needed it.

Despite the fact that he really didn't want to, Varian stood, approaching the Werewolf and setting a hand on his shoulder. It was a simple gesture, just as easy as skin to skin contact and he was able to heal the injuries and stop the pain. The potion that he had made himself did wonders to bring his energy back, and as he was still on the high of just drinking it he had no sudden drop in energy.

"There." He mumbled, ignoring the look that the Werewolf gave him. "Now then, not to be rude, but this is my home, and I'd prefer to not have complete strangers in it at the moment." Varian flourished his hand, something he had learned from his baba while learning magic. A card appeared, a normal looking playing card that he passed across to Clary. "If you need me, throw the card. Until then."

The door to his apartment opened by itself, and the group got the message all moving to leave the room as Varian watched them go. Luke was last, throwing one last critical glance over his shoulder as he stepped out the door.

It slammed shut behind him, and Varian looked over at his baba.

"He recognized me."

"It's hard not too." His baba replied, the pair of them watching the door where the Werewolf had just been.

"Hmm." Varian shrugged his shoulders, turning to head back to his room. He pulled the blanket closer around his shoulders.

"Is that your subtle way of telling me to leave." His baba downed the rest of his drink, as Varian bobbled his head from side to side.

"I need to sleep, you can stay if you want. I think there's a pizza in the fridge, maybe something else. Help yourself." Varian was nearly to his room when his baba spoke again.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

"I forgive you." Varian always would.

He continued into his room, shutting the door behind him and practically collapsing onto the bed. He may have had the potion to bring his energy back, but he was emotionally drained more than anything else.

The struggle of seeing his sister and Luke was tiring, but he was glad to have seen her. The fact that she was still alive, and that she had discovered the Shadow World was a comfort to Varian, and he knew that he wanted to tell her and soon, despite the worry that came from having to reappear in the line of the Clave.

But that was an issue to deal with on another day, and as Varian fell asleep he found himself only able to dream in blue and black.


	6. Chapter 6

"There's a letter for you."

Varian's baba was in the kitchen when Varian woke up a few hours later, looking at the paper of the envelope with a completely confused look.

"I didn't even know people still wrote letters." Varian snorted as his baba flopped the paper back and forth in front of his eyes.

Varian took it from his baba, confused as to why it didn't have any form of postage, but smiled as he opened it. "It's from Ragnor." Varian didn't have to see the name to know who wrote it. Ragnor's rolling scrawl filled the page.

His baba cursed the Warlock by name under his breath, "Ragnor writes to you? He won't even answer me."

"I guess he likes me more." Varian said it in a teasing way, ignoring the look his baba gave him as he glanced down at the letter. It spoke of Ragnor feeling something off in the world, and that he wondered if Varian had felt the shift.

He had.

Ragnor wanted Varian to come visit and sometime soon, but that he wasn't sure how safe it would be for him to give his location away. Varian sighed as he looked up at his baba, "Ragnor doesn't feel safe, and I don't blame him. The Circle has returned, Valentine has returned, there is to much going on for a visit, but he's invited me to stay if I need to get away."

Varian noticed his baba open his mouth to say something, but stopped him as something came flying through the air at Varian. He snatched it out of the air, glancing down at the playing card and sighing.

"Duty calls, have whatever you want. I don't know when I'll be back."

Varian stepped out of the kitchen, rolling his shoulders a bit as he waved his hand to change what he was wearing into something a bit more ready to fight in. He pulled his shoes on the mundane way, lacing them before standing.

"It's cold outside," Varian turned just as his baba tossed him a coat.

"Thank you." Varian puts his hands through the coat, fixing it on his shoulders as he starts towards the door. He reaches for an umbrella, and the second his fingers brush it it's form ripples and changes, turning itself into a sword. He clips it to his back, not having to worry about mundane's seeing it as it once again ripples and disappears.

The door opens on its own, revealing a portal instead of a hallway. Varian cringes, portaling is his least favorite mode of transport, he'd much rather walk everywhere then step through a portal, but he did it anyways, sensing the urgency from the card and thinking of Clary and Jace as he stepped through.

The feeling of being in a portal is strange, you feel as though you're being pulled in every direction, and when you finally land on the other side it's hard for most to keep their balance. Varian falls into this category.

His knees hit the pavement, and he was glad that he was dropped into an alleyway rather than the middle of the street or right next to the group of Shadowhunters.

Varian steps out of the alleyway, adjusting his jacket on his shoulders and letting his fingers brush along the hilt of his sword to check that it was there. He notices the red hair of Clary, approaching her and the rest quickly.

"Someone call for back up?" He calls, stuffing his hands into his jacket pockets as he approaches.

The group turns, and mentally Varian goes through the names of the all. Clary, Jace, Izzy, and the dark haired Shadowhunter he hadn't had the chance to meet. The one who so willingly gave his strength to Varian to help heal the Werewolf.

"Where is Luke?" Varian couldn't feel the emotions of the Werewolf, and from the glances that passes between all of them, he is nowhere good.

"It's complicated." Varian snorts, but lets Jace continue. "We found the Cup. We have to sneak back into the precinct to get it. It's in the office on the fourth floor."

"And you called on me to help, wonderful." Varian mutters sarcastically, "Haven't you ever done anything like this before?"

"They haven't." Izzy said it with a smile, and I held my hand out to her for a fist bump, she snorted as she complied. The Shadowhunter next to her does not look amused, and Varian glances at him, looking him up and down before speaking.

"I remember you, you lent me your strength." Varian bows his head slightly as he speaks. "Thank you?"

It was spoken as a question, but the man didn't seem to understand what he was asking. Izzy smacked his side, "Oh," he shakes his head, "Alec-Alexander-Alec, Lightwood."

He, Alec, spoke with broken syllables, and Varian smiled at the apparent embarrassment that he was feeling. Alec reaches to shake Varian's hand, but he dodges it, muttering an apology as Varian avoids shaking his hand.

"Let's do this then?" Varian offered, turning towards the front entrance of the building.

"We need a plan-" Alec started to say, but Varian was already marching towards the front door. "Varian- wait!"

The group follows behind him, a few of them calling out in an attempt to get him to stop, but Varian continues, he learned that in most situations if you walk with confidence, you can convince anyone that you belong there and as he steps into the front room of the precinct he marches right past the front desk. The officer sitting behind it doesn't even attempt to stop him, and he looks over his shoulder.

"Lightwood, come on." He uses the last name in a way of making himself sound more official. Alec hurries forward, and as the other three attempt to follow the desk Sargent looks up and starts to nag at them.

"Wait," The dark haired boy attempts to wave the rest of them on through but is unsuccessful. He keeps in step with Varian easily, watching as everyone steps out of their way as they walk through the halls.

Varian steps into the main room of the precinct, before openly wincing and backing into Alec, hands appear on his shoulder, and he realizes just how tall the man behind him is. Varian turns, pushing against Alec's chest until they are out of sight of the door. Varian drops his hands, avoiding looking up at the Shadowhunter as he speaks.

"You'll have to do it."


	7. Chapter 7

The Shadowhunter looked extremely nervous the second Varian said what he had.

"Do what?" Alec looked between Varian and the door.

"There's to much going on, to many emotions. You just need to cross the room and get into the office and then I can get to you in there." Varian spoke quickly, before hip-checking Alec towards the door and watching him go.

Varian concentrated on the emotions coming from the room, he hadn't left his apartment in a lot longer than he'd care to admit, and the few times he did he portaled to his cafe which also has wards. So being exposed to the world so suddenly was throwing him off, and as he tried to concentrate on muting the emotions he watched as Alec crossed the room and stepped into the office.

All it took was a blink.

Varian blinked once and he was across the room and in the office with Alec. "Look around. Clary said it was a tarot card."

If Alec was shocked he didn't show it, instead he turned and started searching through the office. Varian snapped his fingers and the door locked shut with an audible click before he started searching.

"I've never understood why Mundane's insist on tarot cards." Varian muttered it in a distracted way, as he flipped through a box of possessions. "A-ha." He pulled the deck out carefully, flipping through the deck and noticing how beautifully done the cards were. "Though I do admit I see the appeal."

Alec appeared beside him, hovering just behind Varian as he passed the cards over to the Shadowhunter. Alec searched the deck, muttering the names of the cards under his breath as he read them. Varian could see the obvious yellow-grey tendrils of confusion and happiness spiraling off of the Shadowhunter next to him.

"There it is." Alec's voice was soft as he spoke. The card that he held was the Ace of Cups, and looked perfectly normal. Varian reached for it, and the Shadowhunter didn't think twice before passing it to him.

At first glance, Varian would have sworn it was a normal card. But the second he touched it he could feel the power inside the card. The power of the Mortal Cup. A feeling passes over Varian, and he feels himself lean into the power of the cup, but before he could let himself get any further in he passes it over to Alec. His hand shaking as he does.

"Let's go." He waves his hand, conjuring a portal and offering Alec the change to step through first. Alec took him up on it, and just before Varian stepped through he turns, snatching the rest of the tarot cards off of the desk and stuffing them into his pocket.

The feeling of being squished came over him again as he stepped into and through the portal. Clary was already looking at the card when he joined the rest of them, this time, he was able to hold himself standing rather than falling to his knees.

"Right, it's bloody fantastic that we found whatever it is, but considering we just stole from the cops, I suggest you all hurry out of here." Varian spoke quickly, looking across the parking lot in an attempt to keep an eye on anyone joining them.

A flashing appeared to his right, and when he glanced at it he recognized the familiar sight of the demon ruby his baba had told him about. His excitement at finally getting to see it was quickly squashed at the realization that it was pulsing.

"Well, at least we know the demon necklace works." Izzy spoke before he could get the chance too, and they all turned, hurrying in the opposite direction. Varian shook his head as he followed, throwing a little bit of magic back at the demon to knock it off of it's feet.

Varian kept a close eye on everyone as they walked away, they did not bother to ask him about creating a portal, so he did not offer.

"Oh! Sorry." The words of Clary knocked him out of the distracted trance that he was in, and when he looked at her he realized that she couldn't see past the glamour that was in place. The grandmother that Clary had bumped into roared loudly, and before Varian could react, Jace had already stabbed the demon through the stomach.

"How did it find us?" Clary sounded terrified, and it took Varian a long pause to realize that she still had trouble seeing through the glamour. He would need to deal with that in a moment, but for now he hurried the group into the cover of a building.

"You can't see through glamours?" Varian asked as the others paused beside him in the room.

"No we're still working on that." Jace spoke for her, and I squinted at him before turning to face Clary.

"May I have your stele?" Varian held his hand out, acknowledging the fact that there were four Shadowhunters in the room and that at lease one of them would pass it over. None of them did. "I'm not going to take it don't worry."

That seemed to encourage Alec, because he passed it over to him. Their hands brushed, and Varian had a sudden spike of colors and emotions that did not belong to him.

"This will help." Varian mutters as he turns Clary's hand over and started to trace a rune into the back of her hand. The rune disappears the second he finishes drawing it, but it does as he wanted, a flash of gold passes across Clary's eyes and she looks like she is seeing the world a-new.

Varian steps back, twirling the stele in his fingers, he avoided the gaze of the Shadowhunters, easily understanding why they were looking at him so intently, but not wanting to discuss it further.

He passes through them, glancing around the room and already sensing the presence of the demon's around the building.

"Right, you go, all of you." Varian slams his heel into the ground, a portal appearing a few feet away from everyone. "Get to the Institute. If the demon's get the cup they'll be hell to pay so go."

Jace did not have to be told twice as he grabbed Clary by the arm and pulled her into the portal after him. Izzy looked at me, as if making sure that she should really go. Varian nodded, and the was gone.

"What about you?" Alec was concerned, but Varian waved it off as concern for the demons getting away rather than concern for him.

Varian reaches over his head, pulling his sword from it's sheath and smiling at the Shadowhunter. "I'll hold them off, now go."

Alec looks as though he wants to protest, but Varian reacts first, pulling the portal across the room and into Alec. He goes through and the portal disappears. Varian breathes out, and the doors to the rooms break, drawing the attention of all of the demons.

Varian brandishes his sword, "Let's do this."


	8. Chapter 8

Varian was confident in his skills, and as he slash and tore his way through the dozens of demons with easy swipes of his blade.

His magic accompanied it, knocking back the swarm or demolishing them with massive balls of fire. He breathed through it all, keeping himself calm even as they gained on him, and just as he took down the last demon he was swiped with the claws of another.

"Merde," Varian muttered, pressing a hand to his side as he attempted to heal the wound. He could feel it moving and morphing under the skin, but it wasn't doing it fast enough.

Varian lifted his other hand reaching to put his sword away before creating a portal. He was glad for its appearance, and just as he moved towards it the chittering of a Shax demon sounded from behind him. He turned, groaning internally at the dozen or so that had appeared in the time it took him to form the portal.

He swung his hands towards them firing off wave after wave of attack, gasping loudly at the flare of pain that passed over him as he back towards the portal. Varian thought of the New York Institute as he fell through it backwards, hoping that the demons wouldn't be able to follow him through.

A shout passed through Varian's lips as he landed, alerting everyone around him to the appearance of the Secondhand Warlock, and the three Shax demon that followed him through. Varian was on his feet in an instant, pulling his sword and stabbing the one nearest to him. The other Shadowhunters in the institute attempted to react, but as most weren't ready for an attack they scrambled for weapons.

Varian threw his hand out, a blast of magic leaving his hand and taking down the second. The third was running straight for someone, and Varian reacted before he could really think about it. He lifted his sword hand above his head, before hurling it across the room and watching as it sunk hilt-deep into the body of the demon. It screeched, before bursting into dust.

"Well, that was eventful." Varian smiled as he spoke, pressing his hand into his side as he waited for the Shadowhunters to react.

Those nearest to him rushed forward, reaching for his hands to arrest him, Varian did not protest. He knew that he was of course innocent, but at the same time had just barely enough strength to hold himself on his feet. Even the emotions in the room blurred together, Varian felt as though his mind was turning to mush.

"Wait!" A voice shouted and Varian looked up, "He's with me! He's with me." The second was spoken firmly, the authority was there and strong. The two Shadowhunters holding Varian's hands behind his back dropped them quickly, and Varian attempted to act like he was uninjured.

Varian held his hand out to the side, and the onlookers in the room caught sight of the Warlocks sword flying across the room and into his hand. Varian placed it in its sheath.

Jace motioned for Varian to follow and he did without protest, trying to avoid limping in an attempt to seem like he has it all together. "Everyone's through here." Jace spoke as if he needed to fill the empty air between them, and Varian just nodded, ready to take a seat and work on healing himself rather than wandering the halls of the institute.

More than anything he wanted to go home, where it was quite, and where he didn't have to put up barriers to protect himself from the emotions of the others in the room.

Varian smiled in a way of greeting the others in the room when Jace and him stepped in.

"Is it safe?" Varian asked, noticing that the room that everyone was gathered in was the training room. He stretched his back as he waited for an answer, digging his hand into his side as he muttered a spell. The words seemed to echo, if only for Varian, around the room.

"Yeah, yeah it is." Clary spoke in what she thought was reassuring, Varian didn't agree. Another man was in the room, someone that Varian did not recognize, if not for the circular rune on his neck marking him as a former member of The Circle. "Uh, Hodge, this is Varian. He helped us get the cup. Varian, Hodge."

Varian looked the man up and down, trying to concentrate on the aura that the man was giving off. It was like a light show, dancing from blue to grey to black then back to blue. It meant the man was being untruthful, but trying to stay calm. But he couldn't think about it now.

He nodded in a way of greeting, before turning abruptly towards Alec, the same Shadowhunter to trust him with his stele the first time around.

"Your stele, may I have it?"

He held his hand out to Alec, and he passed it over, starting to roll up his own sleeve before looking surprised as Varian lifted his shirt. The others, the trained-since-birth Shadowhunters, attempted to react. If a Downworlder were to mark his or herself with a rune there would be dire consequences, but as Varian rolled his shirt up and exposed the Shax demon wound only one didn't doubt that he knew what he was doing.

Alec Lightwood had no idea why he trusted the Warlock that stood in front of him, but it was a feeling much larger than himself. He felt himself ready to give the man whatever he wanted, and though he did not show it he was surprised when the Warlock lifted his shirt and drew an iratze above the wound on his side.

It started to stitch itself back together and Varian sighed audibly at the sudden release in pressure on his side. He relaxed, a bit more than necessary and stumbled into the side of a column next to him.

None of the Shadowhunter's approached him, for fear that he would turn into a Forsaken or react harshly to their presence.

It took Varian a moment to stand to full height, and with a wave of his hand his clothing repaired itself and he smiled. "Good as new." Varian passed the stele over, smiling in thanks. "But the cup isn't safe here, you can't keep it."


	9. Chapter 9

Varian watched as the Shadowhunters seemed to self combust in front of him.

They looked as if they all wanted to unpack what had just happened, but the cup was more important. Varian shut his eyes, letting the feeling of peace overtake the chaotic emotions of the institute. Varian didn't listen as they all began to argue about whether or not to give the Cup to the Clave, his concentration was on not being overwhelmed by all of the emotions.

"I'm leaving. Deal with this yourselves." His voice was emotionless when he spoke, his eyes opened, and he avoided the look of everyone in the room.

"No wait, we need you." Alec spoke way to quickly, his voice urgent. All Varian did was shake his head.

Though Varian's services were open to anyone who needed it, very rarely did he work with Shadowhunters. There were dozens of reasons why but above all was the truth that they only concentrate on themselves. Fix my wards, heal my wounds, it was all the same with them. 

But Alec, something was off about him. Something that made Varian trust Alec.

"Call me then." Varian pulled a playing card out of thin air, the same kind as the one he gave Clary. He passed it to the dark haired Shadowhunter, before turning away and walking to the front door of the institute.

A warning bell started to sound, and Varian sighed, aware of the fact that he wouldn't be able to really leave if they were facing an attack. It would be 'against his moral code' as his baba put it, and Varian could sense the presence of a Downworlder. The Shadowhunters that he had just been speaking too ran towards the door, weapons raised and ready to attack.

The day had turned dark, and at the realization Varian let out a long yawn. He would deal with whatever this was, and then go home.

"Don't move!" Jace was the one to command, and whoever it was paused in it's tracks. "Drop what you're holding!"

And then Varian recognized what all of this was. Simon Lewis, dead, in the arms of a Vampire.

"What the hell did you do Raphael?" It was the first time Varian had spoken so aggressively, he hates being mad even if it's justified. Raphael flinched away from Varian's voice, before setting the mundane on the ground and speaking to Varian directly.

"Not me. Camille."

Camille has been a thorn in Varian's side ever since he was a child, and his baba's before that. The amount of Mundanes and Downworlders that Varian has had to save from the brink of death because of Camille is ridiculous, but this was one mundane he couldn't save.

"Killing Simon is grounds for war." Izzy was angry, and terrified, there was a connection between her and the Vampire, whether it be past or future, there was definitely one there.

"The Vampire's had nothing to do with this." Varian was quick to speak up, he did not want to see a war between the Downworlders and Shadowhunters. "Camille has gone rouge, as usual."

Varian felt awful that the mundane was dead, but some part of him recognized the fact that this would not be the last time he saw the mundane. Though, he would not be a mundane next time. Varian left the Shadowhunters to figure out their next steps, he hailed a cab, something he hadn't done in a while, and was on the road home before they even realized he was gone.

Varian was dozing off in the car, his side still ached from the newly healed Shax demon bite. His mind was reeling, he had just used a stele for the first time in years on himself, and in front of a large group of Shadowhunters.

But he didn't want to think about it, he didn't want to, so he wouldn't.

He took the elevator to get to his floor, the comfort of his wards on his apartment made him feel at home the second he stepped inside.

"Baba?" Varian called as soon as he stepped in, when he received no reply, he couldn't help but feel disappointed until he stepped into the living room.

His baba was asleep on the couch, arms and legs sprawled haphazardly over the back of the couch. Varian smiled, pulling a blanket out of thin air (though it was really his guest room) and spreading it across his baba. Varian pat his baba shoulder as he walk around to the kitchen. He was too tired to do anything, but to awake to go to sleep.

He couldn't get over the fact that he had just so simply borrowed a stele from a Shadowhunter and marked a rune on his skin. Varian pressed a hand to where the rune should be, before sighing and setting his hand on the counter top.

He made himself a cup of tea, milk, two sugars, before taking a seat on the stool by the bar top. There was to much rolling around in his head, and as he sat there, he could only think of the Shadowhunter with the dark hair and blue eyes.

There was something off about him, as Varian had already noticed, but he couldn't place his hand on it. The emotions of the Shadowhunter was stronger in Varian's eyes. He could see them clear as day and bright as the stars, but the colors were off. It was like he was seeing them in high definition, something that had never happened before.

"Birdie."

Varian lurched out of his trance, looking up at his baba with a smile that he hoped didn't look fake. He watched as his baba made another drink for himself, before standing on the other side of the kitchen just looking at him.

"What's wrong." It wasn't phrased as a question, and when Varian waved him off his baba was quick to reply; "I'm a Warlock, I know when something's out of place."

Varian sighed. "I am thinking about the Shadowhunters." Varian took a long sip from his mug of tea before sharing the fact that he had used a rune so easily in front of them and left before questions could be asked. "I am a, a bodoh."

"Sometimes." His baba chuckled, and Varian looked up at him with a glare. "But you don't have to be perfect." Varian shook his head, knowing that he was right, as usual.

"I never would have done it-"

"Probably, but there's no use dwelling on it. Have a drink with me." His baba's face lit up suddenly, before he offered to dye Varian's hair a new color. "It'll be fun Birdie."

It didn't take much for his baba to convince Varian to die his hair, and a few hours later Varian's hair was freshly blue, and he felt just a bit better about everything within the past few days.


	10. Chapter 10

Varian was woken up by a pounding on his door which is never a pleasant way to wake up.

He basically launched himself from his bed in his hurry to get the door which only succeeded in getting his legs tangled in the sheets and him falling to the floor with a loud yelp. It took Varian a lot longer than he would ever admit to untangled himself from the sheets, and by the time he made it to his front door the pounding had been joined by shouting.

"Bloody hell what do you want!" Varian nearly ripped the door off of it's hinges as he spoke, his face softening drastically when he noticed the face of Simon Lewis on the other side of the door. "Simon."

At first Varian wasn't sure to do, the mundane had been dead yesterday and though Varian had predicted his return that didn't mean that he was going to be perfectly unaffected by it. Varian held a hand out to him, and Simon grabbed it without a second thought.

He looked starving, and Varian knew that he would have trouble controlling himself if he didn't have something to eat and soon. Varian led him to the kitchen, motioning to a stool and started digging through his fridge.

"I'm sorry for showing up here." Simon sounded like he was speaking around a mouth full of marshmallows, and Varian knew it was because he was having trouble speaking through his fangs.

Varian paused, looking up at the young Vampire with a firm look. "You never need to apologize for needing help." He continued searching as the kitchen got quiet, the only sound coming from Varian moving things around in his fridge. "A-ha! You're lucky, three pints of O-neg."

He stood, turning to face the boy with a smile. Varian could see the hungry look that Simon had in his eyes, but waited until he poured most of it into a large glass for him. He knew that Simon would be disgusted drinking from the bag.

"Here." Varian passed the glass to him with a small smile, nodding when Simon took a sniff of it all. Knowing that he would be embarrassed by his hunger, Varian turned away and busied himself with making a cup of coffee.

"Oh-" Simon seemed to choke on something, and when Varian turned he realized it was the inability to say 'God'. "That's terrible."

"You get use to it, or so I'm told." Varian smiled sadly at Simon. "I'm sorry that this has happened to you."

Varian wanted to say more, but was distracted by the playing card flying through the air, Varian snatches it, the situation around why the card was sent appears in his head. Varian smiles at Simon in an apologetic way.

"I need to help the Shadowhunters, but you are free to stay here." Varian waves his hand, an lilac glow passes over the windows in the entire apartment. "The sun will be at its highest soon, the windows will protect you from the suns light."

"Thank you. I'll get out of your hair by-"

"You don't have to." Varian smiles as he interrupts. "You can stay here as long as you need. There's no reason I can't be hospitable to a Downworlder in need."

That seemed to shock Simon, and for a moment Varian wondered if he had said something wrong. But Simon hadn't thought of himself as a Downworlder, and hearing Varian say that was a shock to him. The boy started to cry, and Varian reacted quickly, crossing the room in three steps and wrapping his arms around the still-seated young Vampire.

"Oh, oh Simon. It's alright." Simon sniveled in Varian's arms for a few minutes, and when he pulled back he looked terribly embarrassed which Varian was quick to address. "Right, no more tears. Sleep, eat, I'll pick up more blood on my way home. If you need me my cards on the fridge."

Varian stepped away, waving his hand towards one of the guest bedrooms. Simon stood walking in the way that he had pointed and stopping just at the door.

"Thank you Varian." Simon struggled to smile, obviously uncomfortable with his new teeth. Varian smiled in return, setting a hand on his chest and bowing his head slightly.

"Any time." Varian waited until the young Vampire had gone into the room before waving his hand for new clothing and starting towards the door. His sword was in the umbrella stand by the door, and as he strapped it to his back he also grabbed his keys.

Varian owned a car and a motorcycle.

Both of which he rarely used, but both had magically properties. The car was a gift from his baba when he turned sixteen, and the bike was a Vampire bike and therefore useless in the daylight. Which meant taking the car, an old Bentley that his baba swears was a gift from the inventor, and it probably was.

Driving is something that Varian took a long time getting use to. His baba never learned how to drive, but Varian felt like it made him more Mundane to do it. As well as it became useful in times like these, taking the car is much cheaper than a cab.

It's an uneventful trip, and when he arrives at the Institute Varian glamours the car to match the scenery (to avoid getting a ticket) before walking up to the door and knocking three times.

To anyone the Institute is an abandoned cathedral, but to those that can see through the glamour it's a beautiful church. The interior keeps the Gothic look of the building but with upgrades to make it easier to use for the Shadowhunters of today.

Varian was at the Institute often when his baba and him first moved to New York, but he was only seven, and was barely there for an hour. His first interaction since then was yesterday when he portaled in after helping the group of Shadowhunters and now he was going back at the request of the pretty dark haired one.

It's a strange feeling.


	11. Chapter 11

"I'm here for Alec Lightwood. He called for my help." Varian smiled as he spoke, standing firm just inside the doors of the Institute. The female Shadowhunter guarding the door was skeptical, a black color decorating the air around her, until someone called out to her to let Varian pass. Varian's smiles brighter, stepping around the Shadowhunter and approaching Izzy. "Ah, Izzy, thank you."

"I was the one to call you here." Varian can see the burnt yellow surrounding her, and recognizes it as worry. "Alec got hurt, and Hodge."

And suddenly Varian was nervous. His demeanor changed, he tensed up and a faint glow came from his hands, the amount of people in the room made him nervous.

"Where?" Varian followed his instincts as he stepped into the main room.

Izzy chuckled, and when Varian looked at her she was smiling in a knowing way. "Don't loose your cool, Alec's alright. Annoyed that an iratze wasn't the fix, but he's okay."

"Let me just," Varian waves his hand in a symbol of using his magic, "take a look at him?"

Izzy seemed to consider it for a long time, a faint smile decorated her face and she seemed to know something secret. "As much as I want to say yes, I'm going to say no. I need you to take a look at the wards. Magnus Bane said you were much better at it then him."

"Good old baba, always telling everyone how useful I am." Sarcasm dripped off of Varian's voice as he spoke, but he stopped trying to find Alec and instead followed Izzy to the ops computers.

The amount of people in the room made him fidgety, and he wasn't sure exactly what he was doing until Izzy stepped back from the screen and let him take a look.

"Magnus was here?" Varian asked, trying to remember what time his baba had left after dying his hair early yesterday morning.

"Yeah, he took a look at a Forsaken the one that broke through the wards. He left after telling my mother about you looking at the wards. I hope it's no trouble." Izzy looked distracted as she spoke, and Varian smiled in a dismissive way.

"Not for me, but wait until you see your bill."

Varian stopped speaking after that, he pressed a hand to the screen and held the other out to the side. Lilac started to spread, slow at first before it rushed around the room. Varian's eyes fell shut, and he breathed slowly in then back out before Latin started to leave his lips.

"Lava a tenebris lumen, hic moras firma impugnare Derelicta." It was an easy uttering, and his magic complied. A ripple passed over the Institute, and everyone seemed to pause. The air became light and tinted lilac and in one final hurrah, Varian clapped his hands together. A low boom passed through the room, and the wards were stronger than before.

Varian opened his eyes, looking over at Izzy with a bright dashing smile. He wanted to say something clever but was interrupted by the voice of a man that he didn't recognize.

"You're not Magnus Bane." Varian turned, looking the man up and down and instantly clocking the grey color of dishonesty surrounding the man.

"Stellar observation." Varian smiled in a friendly way. "I'm Magnus' son, Varian Bane."

The man didn't seem to care about the formalities of giving his name, instead he carried on with what he wanted. "Are the wards solid now? Nothing will get through?"

Typical Shadowhunter.

"Hmm." Varian bobbled his head from side to side, "For the most part, but magic has it's limits. The wards won't hold off a Forsaken attack, but it can slow it down."

"Extra time is priceless." The man nearly sounded poetic. He turned away without a thank you and Varian watched him go.

"And that was?" Varian turned back to Izzy, carding a hand through his hair as he waited for a reply.

"My father, Robert Lightwood, and that," Varian turns to see who Izzy is pointing to. A young blonde Shadowhunter, "That is Lydia Branwell."

"Branwell?" Varian smiles in recognition. "I know a good friend of her grandfathers, I have heard a lot about her."

It was the truth. Varian had grown up hearing stories from Ragnor Fell about Lydia Branwell and her grandfather, who was in all honestly a friend to the Downworlders. Especially to Warlocks. Varian had really only heard good things, about the Branwell line which was a blessing. She would always have the help of a Warlock like Varian.

"I should go discuss my payment with her. Till next time Miss. Lightwood." Izzy smiled when Varian called her that, setting her shoulders just a bit higher and bowing her head in a mock bow.

Varian turned, waltzing towards Lydia but getting quickly distracted by the handsome Shadowhunter that he saw out of the corner of his eyes. Alec Lightwood, beautiful as ever. Varian changed course, heading straight for the dark haired Shadowhunter while smiling brightly.

"A Forsaken wound usually needs a little Warlock touch, may I?" Varian's hands are already glowing green by the time Alec realizes who is speaking.

"It's okay, I'm fine." Alec appears flustered, his cheeks start turning pink and he avoids looking at Varian.

Varian rolls his eyes before immediately setting a hand over the top of the Forsaken cut on Alec's shoulder. An overwhelming amount of emotions comes through the skin-to-skin contact and Varian nearly pulls away. An emerald green coloring passes over Alec, and his skin instantly fills just a bit. His complexion becomes healthy, and he sighs at the lack of pain in his shoulder.

Varian pulls his hand off of Alec's arm, smiling. "There."

Alec tests his arm, rolling his shoulder before pulling the bandage off. "Thank you." The pink in his cheeks darkens as he looks Varian in the eyes. "I, uh, I like the blue."

It takes Varian a moment to realize that Alec meant his hair and he smiles, reaching up to touch it with a light smile. "Thank you." Varian smiled. He leaned forward, speaking in a lighter tone. "I don't know what it is about you but I feel as though I can trust you."

Varian hadn't expected to say that, though it was true. Alec seemed to blush darker if that was at all possible. He grabbed Varian by the shoulder, pulling him to a doorway and ducking his head. Only then did Varian realize just how much taller the man in front of him was. Varian is overwhelmed with the raw emotions coming off of the man in front of him.

"I don't think-" Alec interrupted himself with a shake of his head, before sighing deeply and looking over his shoulder at the rest of the Institute. As if this moment was to much of a secret for the rest of them. "I trust you. I don't know why, but I do."

Varian found himself speaking without thinking before hand. "If something were to happen to you.."

"Varian, I'm good. All right? I gotta," He nodded to the rest of the Institute, a shy smile on his face.

"Right. You're a busy man, and I should find Lydia Branwell. It's best to be paid up front." Varian steps away, taking a deep breath as he does and noticing how tense Alec becomes at the mention of Miss Branwell.

"Uh, I'll talk to her." Alec speaks quickly, sounding almost rushed.

Varian ignores the rushed tone, instead he smiles and bows his head slightly. "Thank you Alec." He turns to leave the Institute, not missing the blue eyes trained on the back of him as he goes.


	12. Chapter 12

"Isn't it a bit early for drinks Varian?" Maia spoke to Varian the second he stepped into the Hunter's Moon. The Downworlder bar was nearly empty, only a few Vampire's that got trapped before the sun came up and the various Seelies to drunk to make it home.

"Then why would a bar be open all day?" Varian smiled as he said it, before immediately shaking his head. "Not here for me. I need twelve pints of 0-neg, to go?"

Maia looked confused, but started to collect the order. "Either your appetite changed, or you gained a Vampire roommate."

Varian winced, thinking of Simon all alone at the apartment. "Fledgling. Showed up at my place a few hours after turning. Sweet kid, has no idea what he's doing."

"Good thing you've got him then." Maia said it with a smile and Varian just nodded. She turned, setting a cooler on the bar top. "There."

"What do I owe you?" Maia waved his question off, and Varian smiled, stuffing a ten dollar bill in the tip jar. He grabbed the cooler off of the bar top, and as he started towards the door he threw a hand over his shoulder to wave goodbye. "See you around Maia."

"Don't be a stranger V."

"I won't!" It was hopefully true. Varian wanted to introduce Simon to the bar that way Simon wouldn't have to worry as much when it came to finding something to eat. There was so much that Varian would need to teach Simon, or try and find him a clan to take him in.

Raphael would be a good contender, if not for the fact that he had a hand in Simon's turning, and as Varian drove home he couldn't help but wonder if he still had that notebook from one of Ragnor's Vampire friends. Knowing Varian he probably did, he never really throws anything out, but his baba is much worse about it. There's eight storage lockers full of his stuff in just New York, not to mention the other apartments and houses around the world he owns.

When Varian reached his floor there was an odd feeling in the air, like something was being forced, and as he approached his front door he realized why.

There, ringing his doorbell, was Clary Fairchild, and Varian did not want to talk to her.

"Clary." Varian forced a smile.

She spun quickly, blushing red when she realized she was caught. "Sorry, is Simon here?"

Varian knew that she knew that he was, but it was more out of courtesy than anything that she was asking. "Yes." Varian set the cooler on the ground, pulling his keys out of his pocket and unlocking the door.

"Can I see him?"

Varian elbowed the door open, before shoving the cooler inside with the ball of his foot. "Nope." The door shut between the two of them, and with a wave of his hand the doorbell no longer worked, at least for the next few hours. "Clary was here to see you Simon. I told her no."

He waved his hand, the cooler lifted itself off of the ground and all the way into the kitchen for him. Varian was shocked when he stepped in, Simon was sprawled out in the middle of the floor, tears pouring down his face and a tub of ice cream in the crook of his arm. He sat up when Varian stepped in, rubbing his nose with his arm as he sniffled.

"I can't even have ice cream anymore." He said it in such a way that Varian felt heartbroken at the sound.

"I'm sorry Simon, but we can work on that alright? Soon you'll be a walking, talking, eating-normal-things-Vampire." Varian spoke with a smile, but he knew how long it would be until he could live a vaguely normal life. "Come on then."

Varian waved his hand, the ice cream cleaning itself off of Simon before disappearing all together. He holds a hand out to Simon who takes it with a sloppy sad smile.

"Uh, thank you Varian." Simon smiles as Varian offers him another glass of O-neg.

"Simon, you don't have to keep thanking me." Varian grabs a bottle of soda from the fridge before taking a seat on the counter top. "You can stay here as long as you need, and," Varian waves his hand and a key appears on the table next to Simon, "That's for you."

Simon smiles brightly as he picks it up, all the tears gone from his eyes as the idea of having a home with Varian. And Varian had to be honest, the idea of having a Downworlder roommate sounded great. The last time that Varian had lived with someone was three years ago just when his baba became the High Warlock of Brooklyn. Not that his baba didn't want him in his flat anymore, but more so so that the pair of them were able to go about their business as usual without having to bother each other.

Varian missed it, he genuinely missed it, so the idea of having Simon as his roommate was just as wonderful as Simon having Varian as his.

His phone started to ring, and Varian groans. The kitchen was peaceful until that had happened, and then Varian remembers that only one person had the number, and the person calling him wasn't his baba.

"Hullo?" Varian answers it with a question, and smiles once the voice speaks on the other side.

"It's Izzy, I need your help."

"Wow, three times in just as many days, should I feel special?" The sarcasm was strong in Varian's voice, but he did feel just a bit special.

"Maybe," Varian could practically see the smile on Izzy's face. "Can you portal into a room if I send you a picture of the room?"

Varian considered it for a minute, before shrugging his shoulder (even though Izzy couldn't see it) before speaking. "Depends. What do you need?"

"I need Alec's stele, and he's not going to let it out of his sight at the moment." Izzy sounded scared, and Varian would do anything to help.

"Do I want to know?" Varian didn't, but he wanted to ask.

"Let's just say if involves a Seelie." Izzy was being cryptic, but that was enough for Varian to want to help.

Varian hopped off of the counter top, and started towards his workshop. "I can create a small portal and grab the stele. Usually it wouldn't work, but in this case I've seen the object enough times to make it work."

"Great!" Izzy was too excited, and Varian hoped whatever came to pass would genuinely work out for her and the Seelie.

"You'll have to come get it from me." Varian pressed the phone into his shoulder as he crushed some moonstone and yellow moss together into his mortar and pestle.

"I will, thank you so much Varian. What, what do I owe you?"

Varian smiled and sighed, "Nothing Izzy. Except for a favor in the future, I'll call on you."

"Thank you Varian."

She hung up before Varian could say anything back, and he smiled to himself before putting some more pressure into crushing the two ingredients together.

"Who was that?"

"Jesus Christ!" Varian nearly dropped his mortar when Simon spoke, he clutched at his chest and looked up at the amused Vampire with a smile and a shake of his head.

"Sorry." Simon looked embarrassed, but Varian waved off the apology.

"No I just, I get distracted and kind of forgot you were here." Varian continues crushing the ingredients together, "It was Izzy, asking for help."

Simon started to ask questions, all of which Varian was glad to answer. He asked about the ingredients he was using and what he needed to do, and the excitement radiating off of the young man was coming in droves when Varian started to actually preform the spell necessary to get the stele.

Curiosity is a beautiful thing.


	13. Chapter 13

Varian couldn't stop thinking about the blue-eyed Shadowhunter.

There was something about him, something that kept Varian's attention and wouldn't let it go. Not that Varian minded, he was entranced by the Shadowhunter, and was relatively open in saying so.

Especially a few hours later after his baba had come over and him, Simon, and Varian all had a few too many drinks. Varian was babbling, something he only did when he was drunk, and it wasn't an annoying type of babbling but more so a cute one. Where you can't help but blush at what they were saying and hope that everything turns out for the best.

Simon was getting his fill of Downworlder knowledge during this time, though he wasn't sure if he'd remember every piece of it in the morning (though something told him there was a Warlock cure for a hangover).

"I, I got a question." Simon took a moment to phrase his question. "You called Clary, Clarissa Fairchild, but you didn't know anyone else."

A look was shared between Varian and his baba, before Varian sighed and leaned forward in his armchair.

Varian despises lying, and the fact that this young Vampire had come to him in a time of need made Varian feel more inclined to tell the truth.

"I called her such, because I am a Fairchild as well." Varian glanced at his baba instantly catching the tinge of navy blue in the air and the sadness that his baba felt. "Or I was. I'm a Bane now, but my mother was Jocelyn, and my father was Valentine Morgenstern."

The drunken stuffiness that was in the room disappeared suddenly, and Simon looked more curious than anything else.

"Is that why you said you were a Shadowhunter and everyone was shocked?" Simon set his glass down on the table next to him, leaning forward with yellow curiosity radiating off of him.

"Ahum." Varian nodded, before delving into a drunken explanation. "Warlock's cannot have children, that is a well known fact around the Shadow World, many take it upon themselves to raise other young Warlocks or some even take in Mundane's or other Downworlders. My baba," Varian paused, "Magnus took me in when I was two years old. My mother Jocelyn did not want me, because I had displayed gifts that she couldn't write off as easily as Clary's."

Varian looked over at his baba, a sad smile on his face as he recounted the time his baba first told him of his true parentage.

"But you've got the whole-" Simon wiggled his fingers in front of his face, waving his arms in dramatic circles. "Magic, thing."

It was a realistic example of how both Varian and his baba performed magic, and the pair of them couldn't help but crack a smile.

"That would be my fault." Varian's baba looked proud as he spoke, though Varian could see the tinged grey around him as he spoke. "I share my magic with Birdie, which lets him do," His baba copied the movements that Simon had just done and the entire room delved into drunk giggles.

Varian took a deep breath, pressing his hand to his side as he stopped laughing.

"Clary doesn't know." The room was somber again, as Varian was reminded of the lie in place between Varian and Clary.

"No, she doesn't, and I'll tell her, soon. I just," Varian sighed, throwing his head back against the armchair, "I need to be okay with it first."

And suddenly Varian had an awful feeling in the pit of his stomach, like something was coming that he couldn't help but watch happen. Varian sat up, pushing himself to his feet and turning to the back door of his flat. He could feel his baba and Simon looking at him but that quickly changed when his baba offered the forever-under-aged Vampire another drink.

The cold night air felt wonderful when Varian stepped out onto the balcony. It seemed to ease the anxiety that the awful feeling had brought forward and he sighed, his breath turning to mist in the air.

Varian wrapped his arm around his chest, leaning his elbows against the handrail with a small relaxed sigh. He held his hand out, willing fire to appear in his hands and it complied.

The fire was pure white, and seemed to dance around his fingers as he held it there. He could see things in the fire, images of angels and demons in a never ending war with each other. It's movements fluid through his fingers before disappearing into his skin. The sigh that Varian let out was a shuddering one, and he wrapped his arms a bit tighter around himself though he didn't feel the cold.

And suddenly his hand shot out, reaching for something that had not yet appeared, the card was snatched out of the air by two fingers and Varian gazed at it out of curiosity.

There was only one other that had a card like the one he had given to the blue-eyed Shadowhunter those few days ago. It was a simple playing card, Varian had a few enchanted decks in his possession, these specifically borrowed the emotions of those who had sent them to relay a message to Varian.

Ragnor Fell had the last given card, though, Ragnor had a few of them.

Varian's eyes fell shut as he grasped the emotion around the card. Ragnor wanted him to come for a visit, and Varian wouldn't turn him down. The location of his current home appeared in Varian's mind, and he smiled happily. He hadn't seen Ragnor in such a long time, and from the playing card in his hand there was a form of urgency around the meeting that Ragnor wanted to have.

He'd go up tomorrow, or maybe the next day. The Institute had asked his baba to come by and help with something, and Varian was going to join for no other reason than it gave him a chance to see Alec.

Varian turned, starting back inside and waving off his baba's offer of another drink.

"I think I'm going to bed now." Varian muttered, nodding his head to his room. He wiggled his fingers without lifting his hands, and a rush of violet passed through to the kitchen, tiding up so that Varian wouldn't have to the next morning.

There was a soft glow in his room when he stepped in. Varian fell into bed without getting changed, a content smile on his face as he slowly dozed off.

Dreaming of fire-swords and heavenly battles.


	14. Chapter 14

The first sound in the morning was the banging on Varian's door.

It echoed loudly, waking Varian up in an instant. He sat up, shouting indignantly and accompanied by many cuss words.

"Time to go!" His baba shouted through what Varian was saying, which led to his sigh and rolling out of bed.

There is something slightly different in the air, Varian clocked it as soon as he stepped out of bed and took a deep breath. On the exhale, a vibration of magic passed over the room and echoed into the flat, his baba immediately reacted, opening the door in a worried way and looking his son up and down.

"I'm fine," Varian waved him off, making his way to his closet door and opening it to hunt for a shirt.

"Then what was that."

Varian shrugged, not even sure of it himself, his baba left the room with a tinge of maroon around him. The feeling was still in the air, like a tangible web over the room, and as Varian changed and stepped into the rest of the flat he could feel it there as well.

But he didn't let it bother him, instead he pushed through, making himself a cup of tea and grabbing a piece of bread and toasting it with his hand as he left through the front door with his baba.

The door was, of course, not a door exactly, but a portal that took the pair of them to the front of the Institute.

Varian felt excited at the idea of seeing Alec again, though he wasn't exactly sure why. Emotions of other people were easy to read, but his were a mystery to him at every occasion.

The feeling grew as his baba and him were admitted into the Institute, he stumbled slightly, holding a hand out to his baba to catch himself.

"What is it?" His baba asked again, and Varian shook the question off, standing to his full height (though it wasn't very tall) and took a sip of his tea in a way of making everything seem more normal.

"Magnus Bane," The man that approached Varian and his baba was one that Varian had had brief contact with just a few days ago. Robert Lightwood was perfectly alright with Magnus Bane being there, but less so with Varian for one reason or another.

Varian noticed that as soon as he looked a the man, though he decided to ignore it and take on the look of a pleasant smile and a calm demeanor. He didn't give much attention to Robert as he spoke as Varian had started to regret coming as the blue-eyed Shadowhunter was nowhere in sight.

There was an argument taking place in the Institute, a heated one, Varian could see the red tendrils of anger making there way through. Anger was the one emotion that seemed to poison the air and people around anyone feeling the emotion, and without meaning to Varian started to drift that way.

His mug of tea was still in his hands, and as he started towards the stairs he realized how odd he must look compared to all of the others in the room. They dressed themselves in black leather and very rarely smiled, while Varian wandered around with blue hair and an oversize sweater.

It was a statement without meaning to be.

His baba dressed eccentrically, as did most Warlocks, but Varian never liked the way the clothes seemed to look on him. On the other side of things, the other half of him, Shadowhunters dressed in black at all times, and mostly in armor, and blacks never looked very good on Varian.

He didn't mean to go as far as he did, but before Varian could comprehend what he was doing he had opened the door to a bedroom and interrupted the argument that was taking place.

"Varian?" It was Izzy who spoke first, the harsh red instantly left the room and was replaced with a soft yellow, like she didn't want to frighten Varian off.

Varian was quick to apologize, about walking into the room, he felt strange and in the wrong. "I didn't mean to, sorry, I just, was, drawn here."

"Drawn here?" Izzy asked, and Varian just nodded.

"Yeah I uh, emotions and such." I mutter, waving my hand to the room. "I'll just, I'll go."

"No wait!" Another voice spoke, and Varian recognized it quickly as the blue-eyed Shadowhunter he had been wanting to see. "What are you doing here?"

Varian felt himself get hot at his voice, before breathing out and replying quickly. "Magnus was called to help and I tagged along, but got bored of hearing Robert speak and was drawn to your argument. What were you arguing about?" He didn't mean to be so blunt in asking, but he did really want to know.

"Oh, uhm." Izzy looked over at Alec as if unsure what to say.

"Nothing important." Alec was quick to reply, and Varian noticed the lie but shrugged it away.

"Right, sorry for interrupting, carry on." Varian muttered, quickly turning to leave.

"Wait, uh, Varian." Alec called to him, following him out into the hallway. "I'm sorry for being so short with you last time."

"Short?" Varian asked, "I didn't think you were very short?"

"Oh, well." Alec looked awkward as if he wasn't sure what to say after that.

"But I forgive you either way." Varian smiled, stepping closer to Alec and pressing his hand to his bicep over where the Forsaken injury had been originally. "How is your shoulder?"

Alec seemed uncomfortable at the sudden contact, and stuttered as he spoke again. "It's, it's uh, it's alright." He finally forced the words out.

"Brilliant," Varian lowered his hand, but didn't step back. Varian looked up, locking eyes with Alec and smiling as he did. "Would you go for a drink with me sometime?"

Varian shocked himself in asking, and could tell that he shocked Alec just as much. Alec considered it for a long pause, long enough that Varian started to regret asking.

He stepped back, dropping his head and waving his hands in a 'forget about it' kind of way.

"No wait," Alec touched Varian's hand but didn't hold the contact for long. "Uh, yeah I'd like that."

Varian smiles brightly, snapping his fingers and bringing forward a playing card. "Call me?" Varian turned, starting to walk away but pausing when Alec spoke to him again.

"Do you have a number?"

"That's rather forward of you," Varian smirked as he replied, "But no, I don't. Just the playing cards, never got the hang of a phone."

It was the truth, but Varian couldn't help but snort at the reply that he had given Alec.

"I hope to see you soon."


	15. Chapter 15

That feeling lasted for a long time.

Varian felt it the entire time he was in the Institute, and then later when his baba set a hand on his shoulder as they left. It was like dejavu or like there was something slightly off in the world.

And then it ended suddenly, and Varian was jolted at the feeling of it missing.

"Baba." Varian muttered. "There's something wrong."

His baba started to turn and look at him, and Varian reached for his hand, but they never made contact. Suddenly Varian wasn't standing in front of the Institute anymore.

Varian was ripped through time and space and it was worse than portaling. When he landed on the other side he fell to his knees, all of the oxygen gone from his lungs and his blood felt ice cold in his veins.

He coughed and wretched, trying to breath after what had just happened.

"Who's there?" The voice that spoke could have been familiar, if Varian wasn't so distracted by the lack of oxygen in his lungs. "Varian?"

A hand landed on his back and Varian lurched away from whoever it was, moving instead to lay on his back and look up at the concerned face of Jace who he did not expect to see.

Varian took a deep breath, looking up at the blonde Shadowhunter with an obviously confused face. "Jace? What the-" Clarissa's face appeared above him and he was suddenly more confused than he was before.

He held one hand out to Jace and the other to Clary and the pair of them pulled him to his feet.

"What the fuck did you do?" Varian was angry, they had tampered with something, changed the way that everything was working to drag him here.

"Whoa hey, I don't know what you mean, you're the one who showed up here!" Jace matched his anger, raising to his full height and glaring down at Varian. "Maybe we should question your motives?"

Varian glanced around the room, immediately noticing the archaic symbols decorating the walls and the distinct coloring of black evil.

"Where the hell am I?" Varian took a step forward, trying to get a closer look at the symbols on the walls before quickly regretting it as his knees started to buckle under the weight.

Clary caught him, setting him back on his feet. "Wherever Valentine is, or last was."

"How did you get here?" Varian still felt dazed from coming through whatever brought him here, but was slowly able to regain some spacial awareness.

"We came through a portal-"

"Bloody well likely." Varian interrupted, "What were you really doing?"

Clary sighed, glancing at Jace before explaining. "Meliorn took us to the Seelie Realm, and sent us through a portal which let us get a sort of alternate universe." Varian wanted to ask a question, but debated against it. "There was a portal in that world that he said would lead to Valentine, we stepped through and it brought us here."

"As well as me," Varian muttered, glancing around the room.

A banging started to sound, interrupting whatever any of them was going to say.

Varian started forward, cautiously taking charge and waving his hand at the closet against the wall and the doors flung open.

A man was laying in the floor of the closet, and the second the doors were opened he fell out on the floor. Varian could feel both Clarissa and Jace tense up behind him but ignored it, he stepped closer to the man.

There was a ripple over his form, but it was gone before Varian could react and the man started to stand.

"Father?" It was Jace who spoke, and he rushed forward, wrapping a hand around his fathers arm and helping him stand to his full height.

"Son." The man threw his arms around Jace's neck, showing an odd amount of affection for a Shadowhunter. "Oh Jace I can't believe it."

Varian didn't step closer, the grey coloring of lies rippling around the man which was too much of a worry for Varian to approach the man.

"Son, you're hurt, how did you find me?" Varian still wasn't sure what the man's name was, but at the mention that Jace was hurt Varian started forward despite his previous worry.

Varian grabbed at Jace's shirt, lifting it and immediately pressing a hand into Jace's wound. Jace winced, loudly, and his father tried to push Varian away. He stood firm, letting the emerald green spread from his finger tips and start healing the wound in his side.

It was a Raevenor demon bite, Varian noticed that immediately, and healed it in a matter of minutes.

"There." Varian muttered, dropping Jace's shirt and backing up a few steps from the two. Wayland, Varian suddenly remember Jace's last name, and made the connection that this man was Michael Wayland, or suppose to be. Varian still wasn't sure about the truth in this situation, but he could tell there was some sort of lie.

Michael Wayland smiled in thanks, looking between Clary and Varian before speaking. "I'm Michael Wayland. I know that there was some confusion, but I've been with Valentine for the past ten years. He took off and left me here, I'm so glad you came."

He looked glad, Varian could give him that, but the grey surrounding him told Varian he was lying.

Clarissa, ever oblivious ignored the vibe the man was giving off. "And Jocelyn Fairchild?" Varian flinched subconsciously at the mention of his mothers name

"He took her with him," Michael looked between the two of them, "And you two are?"

"Varian Bane and Clarissa Fairchild," Varian offered, reaching forward to shake the man's hand. Something he would usually avoid doing but for the chance of glancing into the man's deeper emotions Varian risked his own personal mental standing. "Right then, let's get the hell out of here if you don't mind."

Varian turned, facing the empty space next to him and starting to form a portal. The purple spread from his hands in an easy way, creating a sparkling portal in moments and Varian bowed in a dramatic way at its appearance.

"Good job Varian." Michael Wayland addressed Varian directly and he felt himself grow uncomfortable at the man's voice.

He answered in a distracted way, "No problem."

They were gone through the portal, and Varian was left with more questions than answers.


	16. Chapter 16

"I'm not sticking around." Varian said it in a confident voice, and nearly convinced everyone but Clarissa spoke before he could leave.

"We still need your help!" She was to excited, but the panic was still in her voice.

Varian didn't respond, but he didn't try to leave.

Michael Wayland looked much to confident in his surroundings for someone who spent the last ten years locked in a closet. He looked around the docks with a steady gaze, before approaching the restaurant with easy steps.

Varian started to follow, but felt shaky on his feet. His hands started to shake, and his knees felt wobbly. He reached a hand out to Jace, who took it without needing anymore prompting.

Jace helped him to follow his father into the Jade Wolf.

Varian hadn't been to the Jade Wolf in a long time, at least two years, and the last time was because he was dating a werewolf part of the pack. They broke up for reasons beyond Varian, but the annoyance around the breakup was too much for Varian to want to go back to the restaurant.

But he was here, and he wasn't in a particular mood to put up a fight.

"Simon?" Varian asked, letting go of Jace's arm and moving to Simon. He shoved him over in the booth and took a seat.

"Hello?" Simon asked, not really reacting when Varian put his head on his shoulder.

Michael Wayland and Luke were already greeting each other by the time Varian walked in, they appeared to be old friends, but Varian couldn't focus on the words being shared between the two.

The strange feeling that he had felt all day and the situation that brought him to Jace and Clarissa was still firmly in the front of his mind.

"Clary." Varian muttered in a way of reminding himself that that is what the girl preferred. Simon looked over at him, but Varian just shrugged him off.

Luke Garroway had taken Jace into the back of the Jade Wolf to clean him up after the blood that was all over his clothing started to attract the attention of the few Mundane workers. Michael was left with Clary, Simon and Varian, and the later was attempting to pick the man apart.

There was something off, and as Michael Wayland started to speak to Clary they both took a seat on the other side of the booth.

"I'm- I feel as though I know you." Michael looked between Varian and Clary as he spoke, as if he recognized Varian for one reason or another. There was a vague similarity if you looked between the two for long enough, but someone who had just met them would not see it. "You're so much like your mother. You're fearless, loving, and you've got a mind of your own." He laughs, "And maybe a little stubborn too."

"I should probably work on that." Clary said it with a smile and a laugh as she attempted to relax into the not-so-comfortable booth.

"Maybe not," Wayland shrugged. "It served Jocelyn well, she hid you from Valentine long enough for you to grow up without poisoning her mind."

"It was complicated, the way I grew up." Clary shrugged, "But I know she loved me, whatever else."

Varian felt strange, hearing his sister say that the way she grew up was complicated threw him in for a loop, but he didn't comment.

Michael seemed to answer quickly, "There was no 'whatever else' for her. I knew she was carrying you when she fled Valentine. But I never told him, no matter how much he tortured me."

Varian lifted his head off of Simon's shoulder, finally deciding to glare firmly at Michael. There was something strange about the way that the man acted that Varian couldn't quite place, but he was decided he was finished with this conversation and this entire situation.

He stood, almost to aggressively as his magic reacted slightly and made the tables around them shake. Varian pushed away the light headed feeling that came with standing as he spoke firmly, "I'm leaving." He looked at Simon, "Do you have the key I gave to you?"

"Uh-" Simon dragged out the word as he searched through his pockets, "Yep, yep, here." He held it up.

"Great, put it in any lock and it'll open the door home." Varian nodded to Simon, before glancing at Clary and entirely ignoring Michael. "I will see you next time."

Varian started to the door, pushing away the lightheaded feeling as he opened the front door and stepped out. He paused once he stopped outside, unsure if there was a better way than portaling to get home.

There decidedly wasn't, and Varian sighed as he created the portal and stepped through.

His apartment was warm when he landed on the other side of the portal and Varian was glad for the warmth. He waved his hand, the kettle clicking itself on and the cabinets rummaged for hot chocolate powder and a mug.

Varian made his way to his room, changing into sweatpants and a jumper, before collecting his cup of hot chocolate from the kitchen. Varian had told the pretty blue-eyed Shadowhunter that he didn't have a phone, and that was mostly true. Sitting on a little table next to his armchair was a very old rotary phone.

It very rarely rang, because only one person had the number, and that was his baba who usually just came by when he had to talk. But this was the first time in a long time that it decided to ring. Varian took it in hand, curling into his armchair and balancing his mug on his knees as he answered.

"Hullo?" He asked, lightly sipping at the top of the cocoa that nearly burned his mouth.

"I was making sure you were home." It was his baba, as he expected.

A knock sounded on the door before his baba came in with a sad look on his face.

"Hey Birdie." He made himself a drink first, before coming over and taking a seat on the end of the couch closet to Varian.

Varian could instantly see the blue tendrils around him, and asked after it. "What is it?"

"The boy, the Shadowhunter you like-"

Varian was quick to interrupt, blushing furiously and shaking his head. "Who says I like him?"

His baba laughed, a full chested laugh that nearly made Varian copy him. "Your face, your action, your insistence to come with me to the Institute all those days ago even though you'd prefer not to be around Shadowhunters."

"Ya Tuhan baba, maybe a little."


	17. Chapter 17

Varian's baba looked terrible sad at the confirmation, but happy at the use of the language he had taught his son so long ago.

"He's getting married."

Varian paused, and for just a second he seemed stuck in time, like he wasn't sure what was just said. His baba continued speaking but it fell on deaf ears, and Varian didn't know what to do.

He, of course, had not known the Shadowhunter for long, he'd barely had four conversations with him, but there was a connection. A connection that felt deeply intimate, and in this moment Varian wished more than anything that he could not see the emotions of others. The image of the pink and scarlet surrounding Alec every time they locked eyes was something he could not get out of his head.

"I think you should go and stay with Ragnor, at least until after the wedding, maybe longer." Varian could focus on his baba's words, and he didn't disagree.

"I'll go." Varian sighed, feeling more tired than he ever had. His baba reached over, pressing a hand to Varian's forearm in a way of comfort. "He's been wanting me to visit."

He smiled as he tried to change the subject. "What happened this morning?"

"Glad to see you care," Varian said it in a sarcastic way, though he knew his baba loved him. "I'm still not sure, but it felt awful. Clarissa, Clary, somehow ripped me through space to where she was. She's got no idea how it happened, all I know is it left me in pain."

Varian shrugs off the concerned look of his baba. "I'll talk to Ragnor about it when I go, he's good with magic like that."

His baba nodded, "Okay."

The room fell silent, leaning towards awkward. Varian stood from his armchair, setting his mug onto the coffee table.

"I'm going to my workroom. I'll say goodbye before I leave."

It was a vague way of telling his baba that he wanted to be alone, who didn't change the emotion surrounding him as he stood.

"I'll see you then." His baba stepped towards him with a smile, wrapping his arms around him in a tight hug. "I love you."

Varian muttered it back, before stepping away and moving towards workroom. He could feel his baba leave, and the second he did he felt the sadness of it all. He didn't go to his workroom, he just used it as an excuse to get his baba to leave.

Varian walked to his room, attempting to ignore the emotions that he felt as he waved his hand and a bag began to pack on his bed.

There was so much he didn't want to deal with.

First and foremost, the fact that Alec was getting married. He had no mention of it before, not even a hint, and suddenly tada marriage. Then there was the fact that he was still lying to all of them (more specifically Clary) about the fact that he was related to her.

The sound of the front door unlocking knocked Varian's concentration off, and he sighed, willing the bag to continue packing as he walked to the front of the apartment.

"Hey Si-" Varian trailed off, looking at the figure in disappointment.

It was Simon and that wasn't what bothered him. What bothered him was the fact that Alec Lightwood was in tow.

Simon noticed Varian's displeasure immediately.

"Oh shi-t," he dragged out the word, "Should I not have brought him?"

"No, you shouldn't have." Varian's voice was obviously angry as he spoke, and Simon leaned away, pointing awkwardly towards his room.

"I'm just gonna go, sorry V."

Varian smiled despite himself as the boy walked away, and Varian followed moments later. He ignored Alec's presence as he went, walking into his workroom and pretending like he was busy. Alec followed of course, and Varian avoiding looking at him as he spoke.

"Tired of bickering over your bloody guest list?" Varian asked, mashing moonstone in his mortar. He noticed the tinge of white surrounding Alec, it meant that he felt genuinely sorry, but Varian wasn't sure what about.

"I need to ask you something." Alec replied.

Varian hummed, sprinkling a bit of buttercup petals into the mixture. He didn't say anything else to Alec, he didn't want to.

"It's Izzy."

That got Alec's attention.

He may be pissed off that Alec hadn't told him he was engaged, and let Varian continue flirting despite the fact, but he wouldn't let Izzy suffer from the disagreement.

His mortar made a loud thunk as Varian set it on the table. "What's happened?" Varian looked up at Alec for the first time.

"My sister is on trial, for-"

Varian interrupted, "What happened with Meliorn. I didn't think they'd go as far to try and de-rune her."

Alec nodded, tucking his arms behind his back and standing at what was basically attention, though Varian wasn't sure why. "My sister wants you to be her defense attorney. I said I would ask, but I'm sorry to bother you. I know a Downworlder can't defend a Shadowhunter in court."

That wasn't entirely true, a Shadowhunter could pick anyone they wanted to defend them.

"I'll do it." Varian spoke before Alec could turn to leave. He shared the fact with Alec as a reason why, but technically Varian wasn't a Downworlder. But either way it would work without outing himself to the entire Shadowhunter community.

"How does that work?" Alec asked, a flash of yellow passed over him, showing his excitement that Izzy was getting what she wanted.

Varian sighed before speaking. "The Clave was so terrible in the beginning of all of this, they didn't think Downworlders and Shadowhunters would be close enough to ask for help." He paused, "So since, as you say, 'the law is the law', there's no stopping me."

Alec smiled, "Thank you so much. I'll go-"

Varian interrupted, "For the right price."

The excitement dissipated from around Alec, before he nodded, "Name it."

"You." Varian said it without thinking about it, and at the pink that flashed around Alec he felt the same way. "Your bow and quiver, it would be a true sacrifice."

Alec sighed, "Done."

He told him that it was an hour before the trial was suppose to start, and then he was gone, and Varian felt empty.


	18. Chapter 18

Varian was cautious as he approached the Institute.

He had portaled just a block or so away from it, and approached slowly, worried the same feeling would come over him as he went. But Varian made it to the front door with nothing in his way, and as soon as he stepped inside Alec was there to greet him.

"Thank you again."

Varian just hummed, trying to not look at the handsome Shadowhunter.

Alec led the way to the court room, everything was set up impeccably, just the Shadowhunter way. The emotions in the room were overwhelming, and Varian breathed twice before stepping all the way in. The Inquisitor attempted to put up a fight when Varian said that he was Izzy's lawyer, but she had no grounds, and in no time he was standing in front of a Silent Brother.

"Place your hands on the sword."

Varian winced as the voice sounded in his head, not particularly liking the feeling of someone else in his head, but did what the Silent Brother said. He wrapped his hands around the flat of the blade, flinching as he felt the raw angelic power coursing through him.

"By the power of this sword, do you swear to defend your client with integrity and honesty?" There was no emotion's coming from the Silent Brother, and that nearly threw Varian in for a loop.

There was no compelling, the sword didn't try to force him to speak, and suddenly Varian had a realization that the sword had no control over him. But he spoke the truth anyways, he had no reason not too. "No argument from me." He dropped his hold on the sword, watching the Silent Brother walk away.

"Make your case, Warlock." The Inquisitor spit the word like it was an insult, and Varian could see the hatred floating off of her. He pushed it away.

"My case is simple. It is true that Isabelle Lightwood acted against the orders of the Clave by setting free the Seelie Meliorn. But she did not act against the interest of the Clave." Varian noticed the disgust that flashed through the Inquisitor, as if the idea of a Warlock knowing the best interest of the Shadowhunter was something foreign to her. "Preventing the forced interrogation and possible death of a Seelie saved the Accords."

The Inquisitor spoke in a condescending manner. "We are not here to debate what might have happened Warlock." She sighs as if bored, "I await a valid argument. Do you have one?"

"I bloody well do! You want the Mortal Cup, and my client doesn't have it." Varian sets his shoulders back, raising his chin. "Since this whole proceeding isn't about what it's really about, I move to have this case dismissed."

"You're out of order!" The Inquisitor shouted as she stood.

"No, you're out of order!" It was nearly childish as Varian shouted it back at her. "It's not Isabelle's fault. It's the Cup! Put the Cup on trial!"

The Inquisitor scoffed, as if Varian was being ridiculous.

Varian turned, stalking towards the table that Izzy was sitting at and holding a hand out to her. "If you don't mind."

Izzy shook her head, accepting Varian's hand up before walking over to the witness stand. The Inquisitor was the one to question Izzy, and Varian stood very still, watching as everything went down.

"You have led us to believe that you alone carried out this operation." The Inquisitor barely looked at Izzy as she spoke, as if looking at her would lower her position. "But Clary Fairchild was seen near the City of Bones that night."

"Maybe she was out for a walk." Izzy snapped back, her eyes trained on Varian's. Varian had a small hand in the operation, but he wasn't the one on trial so he had no reason to speak up.

The Inquisitor sighed in frustration. "And you expect us to believe that you distracted the guards and escaped with the prisoner on your own?"

"Pretty slick right?" If Varian had had a chance to speak to her before the trial started he would have informed her to dial back the sarcasm.

The Inquisitor looked down at Izzy, anger apparent in the red decorating the air around her. "I suggest you think about how slick it would be when Valentine uses the Mortal Cup to raise an army of rogue Shadowhunters."

"Objection!" Varian shouted, "You have no reason to believe that she wants Valentine to succeed."

The Inquisitor looked insulted that Varian had interrupted, but it was the truth. "That's the first sane thing I've heard today."

Izzy turned her head so quickly, snapping back at the Inquisitor with every bit of malice in her voice. "You know what's insane? Thinking we have the right to treat a Downworlder's life as worthless!"

"Izzy." Lydia Branwell spoke for the first time, but her voice wasn't firm or harsh. "Everything you say here will be considered in the final verdict."

Izzy smiled, almost cruelly, but her words didn't reflect the smile. "Good, than consider this: Valentine didn't come out of nowhere. We use our angel blood to justify everything we do, just like him."

Varian smiled as Izzy continued, feeling comfort in Izzy's beliefs.

"Like him, we forget that we are not only angels. We are part Mundane. We can be afraid, and fear makes us cruel." She turned to look at the crowd of those watching the trial. "And we turn our fear to Downworlders just as Valentine did, and just as he did, we turn on each other."

"You think we're doing that to you?" The Inquisitor frowned as she spoke.

"You have to answer that for yourself," Izzy paused, adding the title as a second thought, almost like an insult. "Madam Inquisitor."


	19. Chapter 19

"I'd like to call Lydia Branwell to the stand." Varian spoke with no emotion in his voice, and ignored the look of annoyance on the Inquisitors face. Lydia complied, crossing the room with easy steps and taking a seat on the stand.

"I don't see the relevance." The Inquisitor muttered, and Varian spun quickly, looking at her with a frown.

"I don't see the relevance of this whole trial." Varian's voice was angry, and he took a deep breath before turning to speak to Lydia. "Miss Branwell, I just have one question. Why are you prosecuting this case?"

The room became deafeningly silent after Varian spoke, and the Inquisitor sighed before prompting Lydia Branwell to answer the question.

"Because the law is hard, but it is the law." Lydia sighed, all emotion changing around her. The grey-red of disappointment changed to a light pink of compassion. "But that doesn't make it right. We're trying someone for caring, for thinking for herself. She saved a life that was being sacrificed for nothing."

Lydia was getting heated as she spoke, and Varian smiled proudly as she defied the orders of the Inquisitor to stop speaking.

"I'm looking out at the faces of the people here." She smiled, pointing at Alec and Izzy. "A brother and sister who disagree on everything except for how much they love one another, and how loyal they are to each other."

Varian glanced over his shoulder at Alec, locking eyes as he smiled sadly.

Lydia continued. "Then there's the Warlock who took the case, pretending to be interested in the payment of a rare object but really believes injustice towards his friends is intolerable." Lydia leaned back in her chair. "Loyalty, decency, compassion, love. These are the concepts that we should consider to decide guilt or innocence in a case like this."

Varian felt a lurch in his chest, like he had some strange feeling that she knew of the affection shared between Varian and Alec.

"Those are not the concepts of the law." The Inquisitor interrupted, "Enough of this nonsense."

"I agree." Lydia looked to Varian with a smile. "This case is nonsense. I withdraw the charges."

The entire room goes up in cheers and Varian is right alongside them all. With a wave of his hand a flash of lilac passed over the room and confetti began to rain down. Izzy jumps from her spot on the table, throwing her arms over Varian.

"Thank you Varian." Her voice was soft as she spoke, and when she pulled back Varian started to speak. He was quickly interrupted by the Inquisitor.

"Silence!" A hush fell over the room. The Inquisitor stood from her podium, stalking down the stairs and making her way towards Izzy. Varian stood in front of her, a protective hand on her arm and a firm glare focused on the Inquisitor. "Out of my way Warlock."

"No." His voice was firm, and nearly everyone could see the light lilac that started to shift the air. 

The Inquisitor looked down at the Warlock, her heels giving her the extra height, not like her high horse wasn't helping. "She is guilty."

"And yet you couldn't prove it." Varian smiled confidently, "Now if you don't mind, my client and I are leaving."

Varian wasn't sure where he was going, but decided a celebration was in order. He turned, grabbing Izzy by the elbow and leading her to the back of the room. Two Shadowhunter orderly's stepped in their way, the Inquisitor spoke again.

"If the cup is returned in 24 hours, the ruling will be vacated." Varian turned, looking the Inquisitor in the eyes as she continued. "If not, Isabelle Lightwood will be stripped of her runes and exiled from the society of the Shadowhunters forever."

Varian snarled, acting without meaning to, but he nodded his head. "So be it." He pushed through the Shadowhunters with Izzy in tow. He could feel her trying not to break down as they went and he brought her quickly away from everyone.

He turned, holding both of her hands in his. He started to push positive emotions through the connection, a small smile on his face. "I'll figure this out."

"Thank you."

Alec entered the room, and Varian didn't look at him as he spoke to the pretty blue-eyed man. "Keep an eye on her. I'll find Clarissa."

"How? We've had people tracking her since she took the cup." Alec asked, stepping towards Varian.

"I don't know."

Varian left the pair of them in the room alone. He started to leave the Institute but stopped himself, making his way to the ops computers. Varian grabbed Lydia Branwell by the arm, pulling her to a stop and pointing at the computers.

"You track molecular movements in the area yes?"

Lydia seemed confused to be speaking to the Warlock but answered nonetheless. "Uh, yeah, why?"

"Can you pull up yesterday morning? 11 a.m., outside the front door of the Institute." Varian rolled his shoulders a bit, forcing himself to pool all his magic together to replicate what had happened yesterday.

Lydia complied, before pointing at one spot on the screen. "There. A massive surge happened, and was gone in less than three seconds."

"What was the force ratio?" Varian asked, rubbing his hands together in a way of charging his magic.

"796."

"Thank you." Varian replied quickly, focusing on what it felt like to be forced through space to Clarissa, and he was gone before Lydia could look at him.

It wasn't as sudden of a feeling because he brought it on himself this time, but it hurt just as much. He forced himself to stay standing, looking around the room that he had ended up in. There was pounding on the walls, like hundreds of people were trying to get in and Varian instantly noticed the demonic signature. 

"Clarissa!" He shouted loudly, making his way through the warehouse in an attempt to find her.


	20. Chapter 20

Varian sped through the equipment covering the floor of the warehouse, making sure to give all the walls a wide birth as he went. He lifted a hand to his shoulder, reaching for his sword that wasn't there. He had no use for it during the trial, but he needed it now more than ever.

Michael Wayland was standing a distance away from Clary and Jace, his form rippling twice as much as the first time that Varian saw him.

Wayland was reaching for something, and as Varian came closer, he realized that it was the Mortal Cup.

"Don't give it to him!" He shouted, hurrying towards the group, but it was to late. Clary had handed it over, and Varian reacted, throwing his hand out and blasting Michael Wayland with a blast of magic.

"What the hell Varian!" Jace ran at him, his anger fueling his actions. Varian lifted his hand in an relaxed way, stopping the boy in his tracks.

"He's not who he says he is." Varian replied, stepping towards the still-shocked form of Michael Wayland. He pulled the Mortal Cup from his grasp, holding it in his hands in a careful grip and waving a hand at the man.

Everyone watched as his skin rippled and changed, the thin form of Michael Wayland changing and becoming the square tough form of Valentine.

Varian stepped away, finding it hard to swallow as he looked down at Valentine. He was starting to move, and Varian spoke, his voice echoing around the warehouse.

"Demons begone." The Mortal Cup made them comply, and silence fell over the warehouse.

"You pretended to be my father." Jace was still frozen in the air where Varian had left him, the anger coming off of him on droves.

Valentine laughed as he stood. "I wasn't pretending Jace. I am your father, I always have been."

"Shut it Valentine." Varian spat, turning to walk away. He felt a presence approach him, and knew it was Valentine coming for the cup. He lifted it into the air, "Dimittite eam!" And the cup was gone.

"No!" Valentine's voice was raw as he screamed. He grabbed Varian from behind, wrapping the crook of his arm around his throat in an attempt to choke him. Varian panicked, a blast of magic sends a shock wave into the air, forcing Valentine across the room once again.

The spirals of magic that sit in the air around Varian as he turns are black in color, and no matter how much he tries to breath through it, the color doesn't change. Varian sets his jaw, his hands tighten into fists as he speaks to Clary.

"We're leaving-"

Valentine interrupts. "I am your father Clarissa, and Jace's. Think about it, why are the two of you so drawn together? Blood calls to blood-" Valentine trails off, sighing in a happy way. "Incredible."

It was impossible.

Varian was the brother, and Jace was, well Varian wasn't sure exactly who Jace was. But it wouldn't take much to find out, or so he hopes.

"A lost mother, found." Valentine motioned to the floating body of Jocelyn Fairchild, the mother that Varian hasn't seen in nearly sixteen years. "A brother and sister, finally reunited."

"Bullshit." Varian spoke.

Valentine spun quickly, shouting at Varian with venom in his voice. "Silence Warlock!"

Varian snorted, shaking his head at Valentine's anger. 

"Come with me son, you know that you love me. Your sister is welcome to join us. And your mother, we can find a way to get her moving again." Valentine smiled as he reached a hand towards Jace. He started walking towards Valentine and Varian worried that Jace was enticed by his offer.

Varian stepped forward, opening his mouth almost speaking, but he stopped, his eyes falling to Jace's hands. His left hand was dead in the air next to his side, but his right hand moved in a circular motion and Varian smiled when he realized what Jace meant.

Varian set his shoulders, lifting his right hand, his left spun in a circle at his side as he willed a portal to appear. The portal was black in color, as Varian was still working on changing it to its light lilac color. The magic, his magic, was still just outside of his control, but it did the deed.

The portal formed, and Jace, as the closest of the group, ran forward body-checking Valentine Morgenstern as hard as possible. Clary yelped, trying to reach for Jace but Varian did first, catching the Shadowhunter with his magic just seconds before the portal closed.

There was a moment of silence, Jace and Varian huffed loudly as he tried to catch their breath. The loud creaking of the warehouse door startled Varian into a defensive position. He lifted his hands, black wisps of magic trailing in the air as he readied himself for another attack.

"Clary!" The voice sounded terrified, but familiar. Varian lowered his hands, but stayed on his toes ready to react in a moments notice. Luke Garroway rounded the corner, he immediately threw his hands into the air when he saw the tense Warlock.

Varian relaxed fully, stumbling backwards and falling to his knees with a shout. His hands shot to grab his chest coming over his heart as he tried to breathe deeply. The world was overstimulating, the dark black of his out of control magic rippled off of Varian as he tried to get it under control.

"We have to go." Varian's voice was strained. He lifted his hand, a portal forming nearest to him. He pulled his hand towards his chest, feeling worse as it sucked him, Clarissa, Jace, Luke, and the unconscious form of Jocelyn Fairchild through to the other side.

The landing was rough on the other side, and Varian could see the four walls of the Institute and wished he was anywhere but there.


	21. Chapter 21

"Jace!" It was Alec's voice that first broke Varian out of his trance, and he wished more than anything that the Shadowhunter was calling for him.

Varian rolled onto his stomach, relaxing into the solid marble of the Institute as he felt his magic seep back into him. He wasn't as drained as he thought he would be, just tired and leaning more towards scared than anything else. It has been a long time since he's lost control of his magic in such a way.

The control he had over his magic was directly linked to his emotions, and Varian avoided any situation that made him angry or desperate.

"Birdie!" His baba's voice broke his thoughts, Varian looked up, slowly pushing himself onto his knees and looking at his baba with a sad smile.

"Hi baba." Varian accepted his baba's help up, shifting his feet in a way of gaining some of his balance back. "I lost control."

His baba hushed him, pressing a hand to the side of his face before pulling him into a firm hug. "I know Birdie, I know."

It was a hug for comfort, and Alec felt off to interrupt.

"Varian." His voice was soft, and as Varian stepped out of his baba's embrace he pressed the palm's of his hands into his eyes. He took a deep breath, his shoulders visibly lifting before falling. He turned, and looked Alec in the eyes.

Varian tried to ignore the blush-pink and raspberry red of love and worry that floated around Alec. He smiled up at him, happy for a moment that Alec wasn't upset with him anymore about his harsh words earlier in the day.

"Jace said you had the cup."

And the smile was gone from his face, he bit back the response of 'typical Shadowhunter' that he wanted to give, before responding.

"I took it from Valentine and sent it away." Varian muttered, he lifted his hands before bringing it down rapidly. It was the same motion he used to draw his calling card into his hand. This time however, the Mortal Cup sat in all its glory on the palm of his hand.

Alec reached for it, but Varian stepped back, pulling the cup to his chest and looking at him in a worried way.

"I trust you." Varian's words were soft, "I trust you and no one else."

Alec's face softened as he smiled and nodded. His hand dropped, resting just over his heart as he spoke again. "I'll protect it, you have my word Varian."

The way that Alec said Varian's name made him want to melt, but he nodded instead. When Varian passed the cup over to Alec their hands brushed ever so lightly and a surge of emotions that passed through the contact made Varian flinch.

Fear, affection, worry, relief.

He snatched his hand away, tucking both hands into his pockets to keep himself from reaching to touch the Shadowhunter again. Alec's touch was a drug, and Varian was addicted.

Varian glanced over his shoulders, his eyes trailing to the still unconscious form of Jocelyn Fairchild. The woman had abandoned him, and though Varian had found a better family in his baba, he still felt a pang of sadness at the sight of her.

"You'll keep her safe?" Varian spoke before thinking about it.

"Jocelyn?" Alec's voice came quickly after, and though there was a question in his tone he didn't ask why. "Of course, and we will try everything to wake her up."

Varian just hummed, not wanting to say anything else out of worry that he would overshare. There was two more things that Varian felt the need to do before leaving the Institute. He looked up at Alec, their eyes meeting briefly before Varian turned away.

"Good luck with the wedding." Varian meant it honestly, but that didn't mean he could bring himself to be excited about the situation.

"Oh, thank you." Alec was obviously caught of guard, but Varian ignored it as best he could, before Varian walking away.

"Jace." Varian's voice was firm to catch Jace's attention, but when he turned their was a soft smile on his face. "He's not your father."

Jace visibly paled, before a look of confusion filled his face, "But he said-"

"Bloody hell, forget his words." Varian interrupted with a firm shake of his head. "He's not your father. You are not a Morgenstern."

Jace relaxed, sighing before asking how Varian was so sure.

Varian answered with a cryptic smile, and a wiggle of his hands, hoping that would satisfy Jace's questions. Jace took the response and smiled, looking around the room with a tinge of pink around him.

"Go on then." Varian nudged Jace's shoulder, and watched the boy stumble out of the room to begin a much needed conversation with Clarissa. Varian smiled, happy for the two of them in the midst of the disappointment surrounding him and Alec.

His magic was just barely back in his control, and despite the fact that he was still worried about using the magic he pushed it back and stepped towards the still floating form of Jocelyn Fairchild.

She had a cocoon of magic surrounding her, powerful and strong, but strangely familiar. Luke stood beside her, a hand resting on Jocelyn's and a sad look in his eyes. Luke looked up as Varian approached, blinking away the tears that threatened to fall at the site of Jocelyn pale and sickly.

"Ah, Varian." Luke wiped his hand across his eyes, sniffling as he tried to look like he wasn't bothered.

"I just wanted to take a look at the magic." Varian stumbled over his words, unsure of what he even meant by them. Luke nods almost aggressively as he takes his hand from Jocelyn's and takes a few steps back.

Varian catches the sound of a door closing, making the realization that he was alone with Jocelyn Fairchild and Luke, before setting his hands in the air above Jocelyn. They came to rest in the same spots as when he healed Luke two weeks ago, one above the heart and one above the stomach.

Magic leaves his hands, dark tendrils of emerald green that he hoped would fix whatever was keeping Jocelyn in his suspended state. It didn't help, it barely even touched the enchantment, and to avoid draining himself anymore than he already was, Varian closed his hands into fists. The magic stopped and Varian sighed in an almost disappointed way.

The only reason Varian even wanted to wake up Jocelyn was to end this ridiculous war between the Downworld, the Shadowhunters and Valentine Morgenstern. He had no interest in her being his mother, he had a family already.

"You look like her." Luke's voice was soft as he spoke, and Varian looked up quickly, feeling himself pale as he tried to deny what was being said. "I remember you, though you were just a baby when we first met, and your hair was different."

Luke smiled, looking proud of the little joke about his blue hair that he had made, before walking around Jocelyn's floating body to rest in front of Varian. He was smiling softly, as if reminiscing on a time that was happier.

"You've got her nose-" Luke started, speaking as though he wanted to convince Varian of the truth.

Varian interrupted, his voice snappy and short. "I want nothing to do with her. I don't care if I have his nose, or her hair, or Clarissa's smile." Varian stepped back, trying to stop himself from getting angry but failing.

"I am Varian Bane, and I do not want the mother who abandoned me." It made him sad to say it, but it was the truth, Varian hated to lie. "I am my own person and not a combination of Jocelyn's features or Clarissa's best traits."

Varian paused, shaking his head as he suddenly appeared drained. His shoulders slumped, and he felt every negative emotion from the day slam into his mind. The heartbreak of having to wish the man that he had started to fall for the best luck on his wedding, loosing control of his magic, and even having to admit to himself that he was the son of someone other than his baba.

"Do not make me less than I am."


	22. Chapter 22

When Varian woke up the next morning there was only two things he was fully sure of. The first; that Ragnor Fell had something to do with the magic keeping Jocelyn Fairchild in her suspended prison, though he didn't really want to think about her at the moment. And the second;

"I'm leaving baba."

"It's Alec, isn't it?" His baba didn't question his want to leave, but rather he waved his hand and the pair watched as his bag began to pack itself.

"Maybe." Varian sighed, feeling unsure and lacking confidence in himself. "But it's also Clarissa, and Jocelyn, and Luke, whose already figured out who I am."

Varian relaxed into the couch as he spoke, breathing in the smell of his cocoa as he looked over the steaming mug at his baba.

Magnus Bane was visibly sad about the situation. His worst fear was loosing his son, whether that was to a Downworlder, a vengeful Shadowhunter, or even to the boys own magic. But some part of him never thought he would loose his son to the mother that gave him up all those years ago.

"You won't." Varian interrupted his baba's train of thought, looking away from his baba as he sipped from his mug.

His baba smiled as he shook his head. "I hate it when you do that."

"I'll miss you, but I won't be gone for long." Varian changed the subject as he stood. The mug disappeared from his hands and Varian stretched his arms above his head. "Ragnor is expecting me."

"Give him my love." Magnus' reply came with ease and a smile. He stood to tell his son goodbye officially.

Varian started towards his bedroom before stopping suddenly and slapping a hand to his forehead. "Oh bother. I forgot about Simon. He's got a key, and blood in the fridge." He turned to face his baba, smiling in a way that made his baba very aware that he wanted to ask a favor. "Could you come by? Maybe tomorrow before- just to check on him?"

Magnus noticed the interruption in Varian's words. Tomorrow was a day that Varian did not want to think about.

Varian watched as his baba smiled at his sentimentality, before nodding and promising that he would. He felt strange as he grabbed his bag from his room and stepped back into the living room of the flat. Varian wrapped his arm around his baba in a hug goodbye before lifting his backpack onto his shoulder.

"You're going to the wedding." It was a statement, not a question.

His baba sighed, a heavy breathy sigh that told his son all that he needed to know, but he spoke nonetheless. "Lydia asked me to, as a thank you for the help I've provided."

Varian's hum was his baba's only way of knowing that he had even heard him.

"You could come? I'm sure Ragnor would be alright with you leaving a day early." Varian knew that his baba was right, but he shook his head.

It pained Varian to watch this happen. To watch someone that he had so quickly begun to like marry someone else. There was something behind the marriage, a benefit of some kind, or a secret. It wouldn't be a happy marriage, but it was a marriage nonetheless.

"It wouldn't be good, for either of us." Varian muttered dejectedly, before shaking his head and pulling a smile back onto his face. "Besides, I'll be with Ragnor and learning more powerful magic."

He ended it in a light joking tone, nudging his baba with his shoulder before smiling. Varian started to say something else, but he was suddenly interrupted. His calling card flew through the air, coming from nowhere, Varian snatched it with an easy hand.

"It's the Institute." Varian groaned, starting to take his backpack off but his baba stopped him with a light hand.

"I'll handle it." His baba waved his hand, easily creating a portal for Varian and motioning for him to go on through. "I will see you soon. I love you Birdie."

Varian smiled in thanks, before speaking. "I love you too baba, goodbye."

Varian turned to face the portal, his shoulders lifted as he took a visible deep breath, the location of Ragnor Fell's country estate coming to mind as he stepped through.

He stumbled as he landed on the other side, but he didn't fall.

The house was up a hill, as the portal wasn't able to pass through Ragnor's strong protection wards. But Varian didn't mind the walk, it gave him the chance to clear his mind fully and wonder what the real reason behind Ragnor wanting him to visit was.

Varian grew up visiting Ragnor Fell and his dozen's of homes, a side effect of his baba being one of Ragnor's oldest and closest friends. Ragnor was one of the few Warlocks beside Varian's baba to have a hand in Varian's training.

Ragnor Fell was also a Warlock, if that wasn't already obvious, and once upon a time he was the High Warlock of London, though now he is much more of a recluse. The man's Warlock marks made him reluctant to enter into public society, more so now than in his youth. His pure white hair and little curled horns a subtle nod to his Warlock-ness, while the more unique touch of pale green skin made the man appear rather brilliant in any company.

"Ragnor." Varian's voice was soft when his eyes landed on the ancient Warlock tending to his garden.

The man looked up in surprise, nearly loosing his balance before standing. Ragnor's eyes lit up when the landed on the young Secondhand Warlock, he crossed the garden in three large steps, wrapping his arms tightly around the young man.

It was the kind of hug that everyone needs on their bad days. When someone wraps their arms around so completely, and holds so tightly, like the world was on mute and it was just the comforting hug that made the word turn.

"Hello my boy." Ragnor's throaty Welsh accent sounded in Varian's ear before he stepped back and looked down at the boy. "It's good to see you again. Now, lets get ya inside for a cuppa and some decent conversation."

"That would be brilliant." Varian sighed in happiness, muttering a thank you as Ragnor took his backpack from his shoulder.

When Varian and Ragnor stepped into the house, Varian was nearly overwhelmed by the amount of pulsing magic coming from every corner of the house. Ragnor supplied (as promised) a steaming cup of tea, and the conversation continued on a happy note.

There were updates on each others lives, and Varian learned of the Mundane lucky enough to have Ragnor's affection, then like most conversations in recent days, it turned somber.

Ragnor set his mug down, frowning slightly, the blush-pink decorating the air around him turning to navy blue in a symbol of sadness. "I asked you hear for a little more than good conversation.

Varian nodded, sighing as he took another sip from his mug. "I gathered."

Ragnor hummed, a light smile on his face. "I am fading, my end is near, and I do not want to leave this world without leaving something behind."

Ragnor was nearly nine hundred years old, and though Varian wanted to protest his death, he knew that he couldn't.

"I am sorry Ragnor." It was all that Varian felt he could say in the situation.

"Don't be my boy." Ragnor smiled and stood, patting Varian's way in an attempt of being comforting. Varian stood, following Ragnor as he walked through the house, continuing to speak as he did. "I've lived, I've laughed, I've loved. I've seen empires rise and fall and saved so many lives."

Ragnor's voice had a sad edge to it, and Varian could see the tinge of yellow-blue showing how reminiscent Ragnor was feeling about his life. Varian eyes trailed around the rooms and hallways that they passed through, smiling at Ragnor's artifacts that decorated the walls.

The man was of course right, he had lived a wonderful life. Varian did not want to see him die, but there was nothing he could do for him other then see that he was there in the end.

"I want you to be my sole heir."

Varian paused, the words seemed to echo throughout the room, it was a shock to his system, and he felt almost sick thinking about it.

Ragnor smiled down at him, placing a hand on his shoulder as he smiled a tight lipped smile. "I want you to inherit my magic and become a full Warlock."


	23. Chapter 23

Varian didn't know what to say.

It was an honor to even be a Secondhand Warlock when so few of them have ever existed in the world. But now, Varian was being offered the chance to become a Warlock, and the idea made him nervous.

"Ragnor, I-"

"I know." Ragnor interrupted with a smile and the offer of a seat. "It's a lot, but you're the only person I could ever trust or want to trust with my magic."

Varian blushed in near embarrassment, but mostly a masked pride. "Thank you Ragnor." He bowed his head.

"You do not even know what all of this means just yet." Ragnor smiled, swelling with pride for the young soon to be Warlock in front of him.

Varian looked up at him, "Teach me, please."

When Varian had originally told his baba that he was going to be learning much more powerful spells while in the company of Ragnor Fell, he was mostly joking. But now that he sat in the house in front of Ragnor he realized that he truly was going to be learning something almost as new and wonderful.

Ragnor nodded. "Of course."

He moved away, motioning for the boy to stay seated while he hurried off. Varian watched him go, finding himself growing more excited with every moment that passed. When Ragnor returned he had a few books and papers in his hands, and Varian could feel the magic seeping from them.

Warm, and soft, and so like Ragnor.

Varian watched as he lined the books up on the table in front of him, as well as the documents. "These are what you'll need to study." Ragnor's hand was soft as he touch the covers of the book, and Varian noticed the harsh blue and grey that say in the air around him. Ragnor was remembering something sad, and Varian was glad that he was there with him.

The conversation continued, Ragnor explained every step of the process, what would happen, and how it would go. Time moved differently in the house, Varian did not feel tired as him and Ragnor talked for hours.

The light of the afternoon turned into the dark of the night, and Varian smiled through it all. The dark changed into the morning glow, and Ragnor said something that would have been disconcerting if mentioned right in the beginning of this entire conversation.

"I hate to say this." Ragnor muttered, Varian was already neck deep into the conversation and going for all of it. "But it will hurt, a lot."

Varian winced, but nodded almost leaning into the words that Ragnor said.

Ragnor stood, his hands lacing together behind his back as he started to pace. "The process of becoming a Warlock is more spiritually than anything else, but it is still changing what you are." Ragnor paused, smiling down at the young man sitting at the table beside him. "How do you think you'll look with white hair?"

Varian tried to pull away, smiling as Ragnor ruffled his hair. "I think I'd look decent."

Ragnor smiles brightly, "I agree." He turns Varian's chair around, smiling down at the boy as he places both hands on the sides of his face. "Little horns too." He mutters, moving Varian's head and tapping the space just on the edge of his hairline.

"Horns?" Varian laughs loudly, shoving the man away in a light joking way. Without even thinking he adds; "I wonder what he'd say to that."

And suddenly the gloom of what the sunrise brought slammed onto Varian, and he frowned. He had spoken out of turn and Ragnor noticed it.

"'He,' who's 'he'?" Ragnor asked, excited to gain a glimpse of Varian's life outside of the updates from Magnus.

"No one." Varian's answer was quick, and the blush that passed across his cheeks instantly gave away his denial. He shook his head, breathing in and forcing a smile onto his face. "Will I gain your green skin?"

Varian hoped that Ragnor would continue their previous conversation, and ignore the way his cheeks flamed up pink and he ducked his head as if he found the floor more interesting, but he had no such luck.

Ragnor kneeled before Varian, placing his hands in Varian's. Successfully pulling his attention from the floor before Ragnor asked. "Who is 'he'? And why do you care about 'his' opinion?"

Something that Varian always commended Ragnor for was his self assurance and his ability to stand up for what he believes him, and if Varian was raised by Ragnor he was sure he would have turned out the same.

"'He' is Alec, and 'he' is off the table." Varian felt happy at the first thought of Alec, before, as if suddenly, realizing that today was the wedding, though the thought never really left his mind.

Ragnor noticed the way that Varian seemed to shrink into himself, and he sighed, patting the boys legs before groaning loudly as he stood. It seemed as if every joint in his legs popped as he did, and Ragnor chuckled lightly.

"I won't pry, but your father told me anyways." He sighed. "A Lightwood."

Varian looked up suddenly, mentally cursing his baba's name.

"He's getting married, and you've fallen much to far in love." Ragnor spoke frankly, once again starting to pace back and forth. "Did I ever tell you the story of Elizabeth Crawley and I?"

Though Varian was still peeved that his baba had shared something so close to home, and he did not want to hear a story of love and romance, he shook his head to spite himself.

"She was getting married, and I showed up to the church moments before." Ragnor paused his pacing, smiling to himself as he remembered the woman. "Her father protested, but her mother smiled. The decision was for Elizabeth and her alone, I would not force either direction on the situation."

Ragnor turned, looking at Varian in a way that he hoped was reassuring, Varian reached a hand out, noticing the tears in the corners of his eyes threatening to fall.

"Liza smiled, and sprinted down the isle to me. And the way she kissed me-" Ragnor trailed off, his free hand reaching up to brush his lips. "I'll never forget it, it was like it was just her and I, off on an adventure all our own."

But Varian did not have the confidence of Ragnor Fell.


	24. Chapter 24

The last thing Varian expected one day into his three-day holiday with Ragnor was company from the outside world.

After the yellow-blue story of Elizabeth Crawley, Varian and Ragnor delved back into the books, and at half past three, there was a knocking on the door.

This was of course strange, for the only reason that neither Varian or Ragnor's magic felt the presence of anyone else. The look shared between the two was near panic on Varian's side and calm worry on Ragnor's, but they both stood. Varian stood, his sword materializing in between his shoulder blades as he reached for it.

Ragnor held his hand out to the boy, but not in a way of protesting it's use, rather telling Varian that he would take the lead. Ragnor stepped forward, slowly opening the door.

Varian kept on his toes the entire time, watching the rippling of the wards as the door creaked open. Ragnor's shoulders slumped, and for just a moment Varian thought that there was an attack just outside the door.

"Magnus Bane." Ragnor's voice was muffled as he faced the other way, but Varian relaxed at the confirmation that it was a friend. "It's good to see you again."

Varian shook his head at his baba's antics, but stowed his sword away, and with a wave of his hand the sheath and sword disappeared from visible sight. At first, Varian found joy in his baba's appearance, but as he stepped inside, the joy deflated. He was accompanied by the distinct red hair of Clarissa and the blonde locks of Jace, and a frown found its way on Varian's face.

"I thought I was getting a few days away baba." Varian muttered in a disappointed way, he did not wait for a response, rather he turned on his heel and walked back the way he came.

Varian sat firmly on the same stool as before, pretending to be entirely entranced by the books on the table in front of him. Though it wasn't fully pretend, he was still interested on the written word, he just shared his concentration with the spoken ones.

"You have your mothers talent with art." It was Ragnor speaking, and though Varian leaned towards the noise, he couldn't hear the muttered reply of Clarissa. 

"I made her the potion, at her request." Ragnor again.

Varian heard footsteps, and once again pretended to not be eavesdropping.

... to wake your l... home at... long ago be... a separate piece...

The words on the pages ran together in Varian's mind, but he just shook his head and tried to continue to read.

His eyes found their way to the clock on the wall, and he realized that it was just two hours until Alec would walk down the isle and he would never get the chance to speak his mind.

"You should really join us." Ragnor muttered, as he hurried back into the anti-library that Varian sat in.

Varian hummed as a reply. "No, I think not." Varian turned on his stool, watching as Ragnor dragged his hands across every book on the shelf. He was searching for something and was gone from the room before Varian could ask what.

Though he had told Ragnor that he wouldn't join the rest, he stood, and made his way slowly through the hallways of the manor. He could practically see the anxiety radiating off of Clarissa as he walked, though he could not see the girl through the walls.

Some part of him still felt awful about continuing to lie to Clarissa about their much stronger connection, he couldn't bring himself to have that final conversation.

That seemed to be the usual situation nowadays, Varian couldn't get himself to have any form of unpleasant conversation. Whether it was to Alec about the affection he felt towards him, or to Clarissa about their being twins, or even to any number of Shadowhunters about his connection to all of them.

A roar shook the house, and Varian felt himself pale. 

He hurried forward, picking up the pace and pulling his sword from its spot once again. Varian expected to find the source of the roar in the room with the other three, but was sorely disappointed to see that it was not.

Another roar came, and this time a scream followed it.

An unmistakable terrified scream, and the body of Ragnor Fell tumbled to the floor between Varian and his baba.

The Shax demon leaped into the air, and Varian acted on instinct. A burst of flames shot from his hands, hotter than anything for those in the room but cool as ice on his fingers. The demon screamed as he burned in the air, the sound awful, but not long-lived.

Varian fell to his knees beside Ragnor, pressing his hands into the wounds the demon had caused and willing the emerald of his healing to come forward. It was pale, and Varian knew it was because of the burst of fire that he had brought forward, but he forced himself to continue.

"V-Varian," Ragnor's hands pulled his own out of the air. "It's no, no use."

Varian felt the presence of his baba beside him but pushed it away, trying to convince Ragnor to let him heal his wounds.

"Shax demon." Ragnor groaned loudly, "Caught me, caught me by surprise." His baba spoke comforting words to the man inbetween the pair of them, and Varian could feel the tears dripping from his eyes.

"Ragnor you can't go." A sob broke through Varian's mouth, but he squashed it back down. "I'm not ready, I'm not worthy of all of it. Please."

Ragnor's eyes moved from his baba to Varian's, and he smiled brightly, as if that could distract Varian from the fading aura around Ragnor.

"You are worthy my boy."

It was the last words spoken, and a pulse passed through the house.


	25. Chapter 25

There is a stab of pain, though Varian could not tell where from.

His heart, or his head.

His baba sent the two Shadowhunters away with a wave of his hand and a forming portal. They muttered apologies as they went through, but Varian couldn't concentrate on their words.

"He's gone." Varian's voice was soft, and his eyes full of tears. An arm appeared on his shoulders, pulling him to his baba's chest. Another flash of pain, and Varian was sure that it was in his head, rather than his heart.

"He told you then." His baba's voice was thick with emotion, and Varian nodded, knowing what he meant without needing to ask what was told. "It'll take time, but he made the right choice in you."

The idea of his baba thinking the same as Ragnor gave him confidence, and Varian smiled despite the tears. The story of Elizabeth Crawley and Ragnor Fell filled his head once again, and looking down at the face of Ragnor he realized why he told the story.

It was advice, and Varian was suddenly encouraged.

His baba stood, taking Varian to his feet, and moving him to a chair. Varian tried to avoid looking at the pale face of Ragnor, but it couldn't be avoided. His baba started to perform a spell, but Varian interrupted, placing a hand on his baba's arm and looking up at him softly.

"Ragnor Fell," Varian's voice was soft, and he stood, lilac purple flowing from his hands. "May you find your place among the stars, and-" Varian's voice broke.

Tears poured down his face, a sob wracked his small frame, but he stood firm. His shoulders lifted, and he took a deep breath.

"I will do everything to be worthy of the magic of you." It was the truth, though he had already been reassured by both his baba and Ragnor himself that he was worthy enough. "Pulchra ut constellatio."

Ragnor Fell's body dissipated on the final syllable, and both Varian and his baba watched as his body became stardust before them.

It was the final barrier for Varian's tears, and he fell to his knees as sobs destroyed his body. He could barely feel the arms of his baba wrapping around him, holding him close as they both cried.

Varian felt the surge of magic once again, and a ripple passed over him.

He never expected everything to happen so quickly.

Varian thought, three years, four years, hell even ten before Ragnor would be gone from this world, but there was less then a day that they had spent together, and Varian was a Warlock.

"You've already begun to change." His baba's voice was light, a hand brushed over his son's head, through his hair, just like he had done whenever Varian had a nightmare and crawled into bed with him. "It suits you."

There was a moment of silence, Varian dried his tears, and leaned away from his baba his hands coming to rest on the floor behind him.

"What were you three doing here?" Varian finally asked. "Maybe I can help."

"Ragnor-" His baba's voice broke, and he shook his head before continuing. "He had The Book of the White. Or at least something that could help us find it. But now-"

He trailed off, and Varian looked up suddenly. "I can find it, I've got Ragnor's magic, and pieces of his memories. I'll call his books to my flat and take a look, but I-"

Varian knew what needed to be done without really having to think about it. There was some semblance of a memory that he never went through appearing in his minds eye. He smiled to himself, a piece of Ragnor Fell for Varian to always have.

"You should go." His baba's words startled Varian, and he looked up confused. "Take a portal to the Institute, speak your mind to Alec."

Varian shook his head firmly, wanting to speak but his baba beat him to it.

"You'll regret it if you don't."

There was truth to that, and Varian nodded, taking that opportunity to stand and take both Ragnor and his baba's advice. "Fine then."

"And no argument, what a surprise." The sarcasm was thick in Magnus' voice, and Varian shook his head in near-annoyance. There was an undertone of sadness as Varian started to leave the room, but he stopped, turning to his baba.

"I'm not dressed for a wedding." It was Varian's last attempt at not going to the wedding.

Magnus shook his head, and with a wave of his hand Varian freshened up. His pullover and sweatpants changed into a nice fitted suit, with a dark blue button up. Varian sighed, his baba knew him so well, the dark blue of the shirt set well with the emerald green of his eyes.

"Well then." Varian muttered in a dejected way, "You'll send everything to my flat?"

His baba nodded, waving for Varian to go on, his voice firm and dismissive. "Of course, now go on or you'll be late."

Varian turned once again, feeling the eyes of his baba as he wanted to take a step forward. "What if he doesn't like me? What if the changes-"

His baba's voice interrupted his ramblings. "What if- what if- what if. What if the world ends tomorrow? What if the sky falls and fire rains down? You'll never forgive yourself if you let him marry Lydia Branwell without at least trying."

Varian hated the way his baba seemed so good at speaking the truth, but he nodded, muttering a 'thank you' and finally stepping from the room. He pulled at the cuffs of his suit, twisted the ring that sat on his finger, nervous beyond belief, but hurrying from the house. With a wave of his hand a spiraling portal appeared, and Varian stepped through.

With the Institute in mind, he landed on the other side with a bend in his knees and anxiety in his heart.

Varian was able to convince the Shadowhunter at the front door to let him in, he claimed to be a Shadowhunter from Alicante invited by the Lightwoods, and with a flash of a smile and a wave of his hands he was through.

Every step Varian took towards the wedding party was another pang of fear in his heart, but he didn't falter.

"A rune on the hand, a rune on the heart." The echoing voice of a Silent Brother echoed painfully through Varian's head but he ignored it.

The door was shut firmly, as if someone knew he was coming, but Varian ignored the interruption, shoving it open with a flourish of his magic.

He stepped onto the Isle, and the room delved into whispers and protests.

But all Varian could see was Alec; beautiful, handsome Alec in a suit fitting a king.

Varian smiled, his voice a whisper as he spoke. He pushed as much emotion into his name as he spoke.

"Alec."


	26. Chapter 26

Maryse Lightwood whipped her head around in a dark flurry, the anger apparent on her face at the appearance of the Warlock. Varian tried to not look at her, knowing that from one look of her angry eyes he would fold under the pressure.

Varian felt his form ripple as he felt another surge of Ragnor's magic pass through him, but tried to not let it show.

Alec looked panicked at the sight of Varian, and he almost felt bad for showing up so suddenly.

I will wait for you. Varian thought, in an attempt to relax himself, he opened his hands by his sides taking a deep breath as he did.

Maryse continued to protest, weaving her way to the aisle and practically sprinting down it, but Varian couldn't concentrate well enough on her as the colors around her were a dark and angry red. The bright yellow surrounding both Izzy and Jace told Varian that he had made the right decision in showing up, though he could feel the nerves eating away at his heart.

"By the angel what are you doing here?" Maryse voice bit at Varian's ears, and he tried not to wince. He lifted his hands in a way of surrender, but didn't do anything to stop the woman as she approached.

His eye's left Alec's form briefly as he looked up at the tall woman in front of him, only slightly put off by the fact that she was a few inches taller then him.

"Varian Bane leave this wedding now." Maryse hissed, and in a moment of sudden strength and courage he looked Maryse directly in her eyes. A bright fire burning in the air around him that made Varian look otherworldly, he spoke in a surprisingly soft voice.

"Maryse, this is between me and your son." He held his hand up in an attempt to get her to not reply. "I will leave, if he wants me too."

Varian looked past Maryse, ignoring the chanting of 'this wasn't a good idea' and 'I shouldn't be here' as his eyes locked with the form of Alec, noticing the conflict in his face. Varian's hands began to shake, a lilac color beginning to decorate the air around him, accidental magic that Varian couldn't control.

This wasn't a good idea. I shouldn't be here.

The words echoed through his head, and it was nearly confirmed when Alec looked from Varian to Lydia. Her hand reached up and pressed against Alec's cheek, but Varian could see the yellow-blue coloring of a woman telling someone to make the best decision.

And Varian felt rather light headed, a side effect of slowly becoming a full Warlock. His head throbbed, and he felt awful, but he couldn't bring himself to look away from Alec.

'Choose me.' Varian mentally pleaded, feeling rather desperate and exposed as he waited for something to happen.

He could see the dark grey of worry around Alec, or perhaps it was anxiety. The calm yellow-pink around Lydia seemed strangely out of place compared to Alec, and Varian realized that the young woman was encouraging Alec to make his decision entirely on his own.

Jace stepped towards Alec, muttering under his breath to him and waiting in vain for a reply. Alec reached for Lydia's hands, taking both of hers in both of his and lifting them to his lips, his hands shaking something awful as he did.

Alec looked just as nervous as Varian, and he looked between the man at the end of the aisle and the woman that he was suppose to marry with the same wide eyed look. Varian stepped back, a hand lifting to rest over his heart as he tried to smile in an encouraging way to Alec.

'I will wait for you.'

Alec turned, a surprisingly determined look in his eyes, and Varian felt himself melt in the heat of his gaze.

The world slowed as Alec started back down the aisle. Varian could feel his magic practically bursting at the seams of his mind as he watched Alec choose him.

'I can't help but love you, even though I try not to.'

"Alec what are you doing?" Maryse stepped in between Varian and Alec, trying to stop her son without causing a scene.

"Enough." 

His word was firm, and Varian felt as though he could cry. That one word was confirmation that Alec was choosing him. Alec reached Varian in three steps, and he looked up at him. Feeling impossibly small as he did.

Alec.

Varian's mind shouted for Alec to touch him, to hold him, to kiss him, but he didn't want to initiate the contact.

Alec grabbed him by the lapels of his jacket, looking him in the eyes with a firm look before pulling him close. Varian stumbled, opening his mouth to say something.

And then Alec kissed him.

Alec is kissing him.

Varian melted into it, his hands moving on their own to press onto Alec's chest in a way of holding him steady.

It was just the two of them, stuck in this beautiful moment. Varian ignored the interrupted wedding and the whispering of the guests as he concentrated on the feeling of Alec's lips on his own. His head tipped back, his eyes fell shut, and Alec became more beautiful with every second that Alec kissed him.

Alec pulled away, and Varian tried to lean in for another kiss, mentally cursing his short height as he couldn't reach Alec's lips on his own. His magic helped him without him meaning for it too, lilac lifted him into the air, and he dug his fingers into the soft dark hair as he pulled him back down for another kiss.

Varian smiled as he landed back down on his feet, his lips separating from Alec's as he looked up at him with wonder filled eyes.

"You will never cease to amaze me Alec." Varian muttered, leaning into the hand that Alec put on his cheek.

"Yeah." It was said in a breathy excited tone, before he suddenly paled, his eyes flicking to the crowd at the wedding. "What did I just do?"

Varian let his head rest on Alec's shoulder, huffing out a laugh. "I feel the same."


	27. Chapter 27

Varian let his eyes fall shut as he leaned into Alec's shoulder.

He took a deep breath, his lungs filling with the smells that made Alec, Alec. Sandalwood and metal, and a hint of mint. Varian's head felt heavy, and he couldn't seem to catch his breath after Alec kissed him, though it may be because of the pure magic coursing through his veins.

"Alec," Varian's voice was soft, and he picked his head up to look the man in the eyes. "I need to take a seat."

Alec looked confused, but the second Varian's knees buckled underneath him Alec reacted. He grabbed for a chair, and helped Varian to sit, kneeling in front of him and smiling in a concerned way as he held his hands.

"What's going on?" Alec asked, "My kisses already making you swoon?"

Varian looked up at him suddenly, laughing a bit as he shook his head. "Look at you with the jokes."

Alec looked rather proud of himself, for the joke that he had made, and for the way that Varian was looking at him right now.

"Alec I am so proud of you!" Izzy's voice broke through their connection. Alec stood, turning to face his sister, who instantly threw her arms around him and smiled.

Varian watched the interaction, happy that his family, or at least most of Alec's family was on his side. He watched with a happy look as Jace joined the happy moment, before Simon and Clarissa started talking just as excitedly.

"Hey, V, you good?" Simon set a heavy hand on Varian's shoulder, and he mumbled that he was fine before slowly standing. Simon delved into a long winded explanation on how Alec and Varian both were like movie characters from a movie that Varian had never heard of before.

Alec looked Simon up and down, before turning to look at Varian. "Who invited the Vampire?"

Varian held his hands up, "Don't look at me, I wasn't even invited." Alec looked embarrassed, but Varian waved it away. It was a struggle for Varian to tear his eyes off of the tall form of Alec Lightwood, but he did, slowly leaving the room as to not draw attention to himself.

He felt like he was going to pass out, but he couldn't let himself, instead he made his way to an empty table in the ops room. Varian willed Ragnor's magic to work for him, though he didn't have full control of it yet, it complied. The table filled with belongings of Ragnor's, each somehow connected to The Book of the White.

Varian wasn't sure why he instantly went to looking for The Book, maybe it was the need to draw his mind off of the changes happening physically and mentally as he slowly became a Warlock, or maybe it was the need to become less of a target for the stares of the other Shadowhunters after what had happened during the almost wedding.

Clarissa entered the room, and Varian said 'hullo' without looking up. The presence of his sister that he has yet to tell the truth to like a stain on his mind.

"You've made up with Simon." Varian observed, waving his hand and conjuring a stool for him to sit on as he riffled through the books on the table.

Clarissa laughed in a dry way. "Yeah, I did. What's all this?"

Varian sighed before looking up at her. "My baba," Varian paused, "That is, Magnus Bane, told me what you were doing at Ragnor Fell's. This is every item of magical importance that Ragnor told me to pull from the house, I do not know what will lead us to the Book of the White."

Jace joined Varian and Clarissa around the table, followed by Izzy and Alec moments later. Alec put a hand on Varian's shoulder, leaning down to ask if he was alright. Varian answered with a light touch of his hand and a strained smile.

"Wait!" Clarissa announced suddenly, pulling something from the pile with an excited look. "I was in another dimension, and Magnus showed me a book of spells, this was in it."

She reached across the table to pass it to Varian, looking confident as she did, but Varian just looked confused. "Alternate dimension, bloody hell when did this happen?" He asked, shaking his head as he did before, taking the fabric in hand. "I've seen this before."

Alec looked over his shoulder, radiating a calming emotion, Varian smiled without meaning to.

"We can track the owner right?" Jace asked, starting to reach for the bookmark in Varian's hands. Varian pulled it just out of his reached, looking more dazed and distracted, like he wasn't all there.

"Warlock magic is better for tracking." Varian muttered, rolling his shoulders a bit as he stood from his stool. His eyes fell shut, and a purple glow seemed to flow from his hands as he did his thing. "Oh, I love simple spells."

A light chuckle came from those around the table with a sense of humor, but Varian pushed away the distraction as he took a long deep breath.

"Item perdidit, revertimini ad me. Per voluntatem, et non erit." While complicated spells are fun, the simple ones give Varian the chance to return the basics. Pronunciation, the amount of magic poured into each spell, it's all a balancing act.

He looks up suddenly, wincing as the image of a vampire trapped in a coffin fills his head.

"Merde." He mutters, his eyes opening as he sets the bookmark back on the table. "Camille Belcourt has the book."

Simon looks pissed, for obvious reasons, and Clarissa copies the same look of annoyance. "Well, she's not going to help me after I decked her."

Varian looks at her with an amused smile, he grips the edge of the table for balance as he speaks. "Impressive little red, but she'll have to-"

"I won't give her a choice." Jace interrupts.

Varian nods, looking over his shoulder at Alec. He smiles, and Alec returns the look. "Good luck." Varian speaks it directly to Alec, as he can see the grey anxiety radiating around the man. He starts to step away from the table, but in his continued dazed state his knees buckle, and his eyes roll up into his head.

Varian is gone from this world, but only for a moment, Alec catches him before he hits the ground, looking terrified at the weak state that the young Warlock was in.

"Varian!" He whispered his name over and over again, trying to get him to open his eyes. It took a moment, and when they did Varian smiled in a tired way.

"What a sight to wake up to." He joked, before his eyes turned somber, and he looked around the room. "I need to rest, there's to much going on right now. I need to go home."

Alec's reply came quickly, and he help Varian to his feet. "You can sleep here." He looked at the rest of the group as they both stood. "I'll be right back guys, I'm putting him in my room."

Varian couldn't concentrate enough to hear their replies as he did his best to help Alec help him walk through the ops room of the Institute. It took a lot longer than necessary for the pair of them to reach Alec's room, but once they did Varian practically melted into the bed.

"Thank you Alec." Varian mumbled, the pillow case tickled his nose. "Baba can explain."

At first, Alec couldn't remember who 'baba' was, but the face of Magnus Bane flashed through his mind without any prompting. He looked down at the Warlock in surprise, knowing it was him who shared the memory when he wasn't expecting it.

"Sleep Varian."

Varian felt Alec's hand on his forehead, and a sense of easy calm passed over him at the skin to skin contact that Alec had initiated.

He was out like a light in seconds.

~~~

Translations:

"Item perdidit, revertimini ad me. Per voluntatem, et non erit." === "item lost, return to me. By my will, so it will be."


	28. Chapter 28

Varian's sleep was fitful, and full of pain.

Memories that didn't belong to him flashed through his mind as his magic transformed inside him. What felt like hours stuck inside the dream world that Ragnor had created for him, was really minutes, painful and agonizing.

When Varian woke, he felt strange.

His mouth was dry, and his head hurt in a different way than a headache. His baba was beside him, and he let his head loll over, smiling in a small way as he looked at him.

"Baba." Varian's voice scratched at his throat as he spoke, and without any prompting his baba conjured a glass of water for Varian to drink.

"How are you feeling?" His baba moved to sit on the edge of the bed, helping his son to sit up.

"Tired." He muttered, "But well rested."

His baba smiled, and Varian copied it. His smile fell from his face almost as quickly as it arrived, as Varian flung his legs over the side of the bed. He started to stand, ignoring the protests from his baba as he did.

"I've got to help Alec and Jace and Clarissa." He mentally ran through what had happened in the past few hours before he passed out, realizing that he had sent the three of them on a mission to get the Book of the White from a not-so-friendly vampire.

"You're in no-"

"Baba." Varian's voice was firm, and Magnus stopped protesting. "I've got to go."

Varian started towards the door, breathing deeply as he did. He reached for the handle of the door but paused when he caught sight of his reflection in a mirror.

"Bloody hell." He muttered, changing tactics as he moved to the mirror in the corner of the room.

In the rush of the past few hours, the excitement that came from kissing Alec and interrupted the wedding, it was a distraction from the changes that would happen to him after the death of Ragnor.

And while the changes were subtle to anyone else, to Varian, who had seen his reflection thousands of times in his life, it was the most obvious thing in the world.

He had white hair, which was a stark contrast from his dyed blue hair before, and an even stranger change from his natural dark red hair. Varian's hand lifted up to touch it, his fingertips light as he did, as if the color would disappear when he touch the hairs.

It didn't.

He also had horns, like Ragnor's, little iddy biddy ones a few inches into his hair. With quick hands Varian ruffled his hair, the color changed to blue as he did, and he successfully hid the horns in a few movements.

"You can't hide the changes forever." His baba appeared in the mirror behind him, and Varian looked at him through the glass.

"You do."

It was spoken without venom, Magnus Bane knew for a fact that he was being hypocritical and that his son was right. His cat-eye pupils rarely made an appearance because of his insistence to hide them.

"I've got to go." Varian checked his hair in the mirror once again, smiling as the white continued to stay the same shade of blue as before, and the horns hid underneath the hairs.

He left the room without looking back, his form rippling slightly as he freshened himself up. Varian followed the same path that Alec had led him through before, the presence of his baba behind him an afterthought in his mind.

"Varian!" A voice broke through his thoughts, and he rotated in a full circle, looking for the source of the voice. Izzy was running towards him, a bright smile on her face, and to his shocked surprise she threw her arms around him in a tight hug. "I'm so glad you're alright!"

Varian faltered, "So am I."

She pulled back, "We need your help."

"As Shadowhunters usually do." Varian said it with a joking smile, and Izzy just rolled her eyes.

She put her arm over his shoulder, pulling him towards the front door of the Institute as she spoke under her breath. "We need to keep this under wraps, but we've got Camille-"

"Really?" Varian was genuinely surprised, the Vampire had a knack for disappearing and he had expected it to take them a lot longer to find her. "Where is she now?"

Izzy laughed a dry laugh, "Well, that's the thing. She's back at your apartment?"

Varian blanched, and acted quickly, turning the front door of the Institute into a quick portal as they both stepped through. Izzy stumbled on the other side, a stream of colorful words leaving her mouth.

"I wish you would warn me." She muttered.

Varian ignored her comments, looking at the woman currently laying across his couch in a way that straight people would deem 'sexy,' Varian found it more annoying than anything else. His eyes wandered through the others in the room, smiling at Alec in a bright way, and nodding at both Clarissa and Simon in greeting.

"Camille." Varian's voice was flat as he acknowledge the woman's presence. "What can I do for you?"

She smiled, and Varian was sure to look away as she did.

Camille and Varian had always had a strained relationship. She was a manipulative bitch, and Varian could see that from a mile away. She liked her Warlocks, a testament to every single relationship that she had ever had in the past six hundred years. Varian just happened to be the one Warlock she could never get.

She counted him as a challenge, and Varian counted her as a threat.

Which was the only reason behind the wards of his flat.

"I need a Writ of Transmutation, little Warlock." She stood as she spoke, crossing the apartment with easy steps. Varian looked anywhere but her as she approached.

He flinched away as she reached up to touch his cheek, a wave of accidental magic pushed her a few feet away, and for once Varian was happy the color had darkened to black. He tried to ignore the waves of concern coming from Alec.

"Oh look at you," Camille's voice bit at Varian's ears, and he wished more than anything that she would disappear. "You're a real Warlock."

For the first time Varian looked at her, and he instantly regretted it. Her black eyes looked deep into his soul, and he felt sick as she looked ready to eat him up. Varian took a step back, wincing subconsciously when he felt his hands touch the wall behind him.

Camille smiled, "Oh come on, Ragnor and I were old friends." She put emphasis on the word, as she took one more step closer. "How dumb do you think I am to not recognize his magic?"

Varian couldn't form any words, he tore his eyes away from the ground and looked to Alec, a pleading look in his eyes. He could see Alec's jaw twitch in anger, his voice firm as he spoke.

"That's enough Camille."


	29. Chapter 29

Camille whined like a child whose toy was taken away at Alec's words, and just to spite him she took another step towards Varian. Purposefully looking at Alec over her shoulder as she reached to touch Varian's face.

Varian attempted to pull away, but the disappointing clunk of his head hitting the wall behind him terrified him. He was on the verge of using magic to push the Vampire away again, but she disappeared and the hand was gone from his face in seconds.

Camille was on the floor, Izzy's whip wrapped around her neck as she stood above her with a terrifying look in her eyes.

Alec crossed the room just as quickly as Camille did, he held a hand out to Varian, and though Varian was aware that Alec didn't understand the situation, he still found comfort in holding Alec's hand.

"I'll get your Writ." His voice was soft as he spoke, the words were directed to Simon, rather than the Vampire on the floor, and with great difficulty he let go of Alec's hand.

He stepped into his work room, finding comfort in the odd smells coming from the ingredients on the walls. Varian pressed his hands in to the counter top, taking the opportunity to relax after the ordeal that just took place.

Varian took a deep shaky breath, cursing the fact that the Shadowhunters had decided to bring that curse-ed Vampire into his home. He shook his head, straightening his back as he stood and walked to the desk in the corner of the room. He pulled a document from the top drawer, smiling in success before leaving the room.

"There Simon." Once again, Varian didn't acknowledge Camille.

"He's cute." Camille spoke. Varian ignored her words, looking to Alec as he continued to speak.

"It's a Warlock spell book, and a powerful one at that. I'll join you, if you'll have me." In truth, Varian wanted to curl up in his bed with a cup of cocoa and a good book, but he would come with Alec if he wanted him too.

Alec glanced over his shoulder at the Vampire before looking back at Varian. "If you're feeling up to it."

Varian only nodded as a reply. With a relaxed hand he created a portal, and let Camille designate the location. He waited for her to pass through, then Izzy, Simon and Clarissa. Alec stood just on the edge of the portal, a concerned smile on his face as he held his hand out to the young Warlock.

Varian considered the hand for a moment, before reaching to take it in his right. An umbrella from the stand by the door came flying across the room, and Varian caught it with a steady hand, placing it on his back in one movement. Alec looked impressed as the umbrella changed into a sword, before fading into nothing.

"Thank you." Varian uttered as he took a step closer to Alec, standing on his toes to press a kiss to his cheek, before pulling him through the portal.

When they landed on the other side, Alec didn't make any move to let go of Varian's hand, so he just held it. Using it as grounding to keep himself sane in the presence of Camille Belcourt, he looked around the library that they had landed in, annoyed that he felt no great source of magic on any of the shelves.

"This place creeps me out." Varian muttered, wincing at the lingering emotions in every corner of the room.

"Izzy." Alec called, "Let's check the perimeter."

Izzy nodded, the bracelet on her wrist slowly unwrapping from her arm and forming a staff in her hand. Varian was instantly intrigued, but decided that this was not the time to ask questions. He let go of Alec's hand, stepping toward the nearest shelf of books, brushing his hands along the wood.

It answered the unasked question from Alec, Varian felt him leave the room as he divided his concentration. Half on finding the Book of the White, and the other half on making sure Camille didn't come near him.

"On the dotted line, if you please." Camille's voice made Varian cringe, but he ignored it, trying to sense some form of magic in the room. "It's a pleasure doing business with you Simon."

Varian turned, watching as Camille folded the writ in half and turned to leave. She looked at Varian, and he clenched his fist, wishing that he had decided to go with Alec rather than stay in the same room as Camille.

"Goodbye little Warlock." Her voice had an undertone of 'this won't be the last time we meet' to it. Varian didn't reply as the Vampire sped out of the apartment, but relaxed the moment she was gone.

His eyes wandered around the room before landing on Clarissa. She pulled a cook book off of the shelf, and Varian smiled brightly as she did. A slight yellow aura covered the book, a clear sign of the magic that had been used on it. Varian crossed the room and stood next to her as she opened it flat on the desk.

"My mom use to make Chicken Cacciatore all the time when I was a kid." Clarissa explained as she flipped through the pages of the book.

Varian felt a pang of regret as he watched her flip through the book, he needed to tell her about their familial connection before it was too late, and now was as good of a time as ever.

He watched with curiosity apparent on his face as she pulled the other piece of the bookmark from her pocket and it reattached itself to the piece sitting on the cookbook. The book changed before their eyes, and he smiled in excitement. Varian had grown up hearing tales about the Book of the White from his baba, about the spells that it held, and here he was now, the Book of the White in front of him.

"Yes!" Clarissa shouted, closing the book with a loud thunk before turning to hug Simon in her excitement.

The moment was short lived, the far door slammed open, the sound echoing sharply through the room as Valentine entered. Clary shoved the book towards Varian and he took it, hugging it close to his chest in a way of protecting it.

"Clarissa." Valentine smiled at his daughter in a cruel way. "So good to see you. Where's your brother?"

The door next to them flew open as Jace came running in. If it was any other situation Varian might have laughed.

Jace brandished his sword at Valentine, waving his hands for Simon and Clarissa to leave the room. They moved to do it, and Varian shoved the book into Simon's hands as he passed by, muttering a protection charm over the pair of them before drawing his own sword from over his shoulder.

"You think you can fight me and win son?" Valentine crowed, waving his hand to motion someone forward. Two Mundanes-turned-Shadowhunters entered the room, both of their swords across Izzy and Alec's throat.

Varian felt his blood run cold.

"Fight me, and watch your friends die."


	30. Chapter 30

Varian's hand started to shake, and in an effort to appear calm, he gripped his sword with both hands and took a step forward.

"Ah-ah-ah Warlock, any closer and-" Valentine noticed his movements, and lifted his hand, the swords on his friends necked inched closer. Varian could barely make out the sound of Alec grunting in pain, it brought him close to loosing control.

"Let us go." Clarissa finally said, almost as if she was trying to reason with him. Valentine looked ready to laugh. "You can have the book, we won't be able to stop you without it."

Valentine shook his head, slowly walking closer to Clarissa, Jace stepped in his way, his sword lifting to touch Valentine's neck. "So like your mother." His words were directed past Jace, to Clarissa. "Willing to do anything for those you love. I'm touched, but I don't care about the book, that was never part of my plan. I want you to wake your mother up, you'll both join me eventually."

He smiled cruelly, turning and starting to walk towards the two Shadowhunters that his people had pined. "It's fated."

Varian wanted to call bullshit, but he held his tongue.

"If I go with you, promise me you won't hurt him." Jace finally said, Varian looked at him in a surprised way.

Varian knew that Jace knew that Valentine wasn't his father, he had trusted Varian when he had said it, so Varian couldn't understand why he was suddenly so willing to be Valentine's son.

Jace started towards Valentine, lowering his sword as he approached. Valentine put a firm hand on Jace's shoulder, smiling at him like a proud father would. Varian had been on the receiving end of that kind of smile hundreds of times from his baba, but this smile from Valentine was different, there was a hidden malice just below the surface.

"Jace, what are you doing?" Clarissa sounded panicked, and she tried to walk towards him, Simon held her back. "You can't be serious, Valentine is wrong! You're not like him! You're not!"

Clarissa's voice broke as she shouted for Jace to not go and Varian felt his heart break at the sound, but he didn't look away from Jace as he walked away from them and towards the standing portal that Valentine had.

"Let them go." Valentine's tone was dismissive, and his two Shadowhunter's shoved Alec and Izzy away, both stumbled but didn't fall.

Varian watched Jace as he went, waiting for a sign that Jace was kidding, that Jace wanted Varian to help him. 

He disappeared without a sign, and Clarissa sprinted towards the portal, crying and shouting as she did. Varian reacted, throwing a hand forward and catching her arm as she passed him. She tried to pull her arm free, but Varian held firm, pulling her towards him and wrapping his arms around her shoulders as he tried to comfort her.

"Let me go!" Clarissa beat her fists against Varian's chest, but he just held fast.

"If you enter a portal without knowing where you are going, you'll end up in limbo forever little red." Varian felt dazed, his eyes trailed around the room, catching Alec's, he smiled. Simon reached for Clarissa, and Varian passed him over, practically stumbling towards Alec and falling into his arms for comfort. Though he wasn't sure if the comfort was for him or for Alec.

"We have to get him back." Alec muttered and Varian nodded.

"We will, I promise." Varian sighed before stepping away from Alec.

He waved his hand, a portal forming in the center of the room as he did, the team slowly made their way through. Clarissa leaning on Simon for support with Izzy steps behind. Varian grabbed the Book of the White from the desk in the room, wanting more than anything to burn the entire mansion down for the sole reason that it belong to Camille, but he refrained from the action.

Alec was gone next, before Varian finally followed through.

Varian stumbled on the other side, for the first time in a long time, but he dismissed it under the explanation that he was still adjusting to Ragnor's magic.

Everyone separated around the Institute, Varian stopped Alec by calling his name, smiling softly as the Shadowhunter turned. Varian lifted a hand up, pressing it to Alec's cheek before standing on his toes to kiss the man. It was just as heavenly the first time, and Alec leaned into it, his hands wrapping around the Warlocks waist.

Alec was the one to pull back, muttering about having to go to the ops room to start a trace on Jace. Varian watched him go, before hefting the Book of the White just a bit higher on his hip and walking to the infirmary.

As he had already guessed, Clarissa was there, as well as Simon and Luke, all of them looked hopeful when Varian stepped in.

"We need to move her to a bigger space." Varian muttered as he opened the spell book to the right page, letting Ragnor's memories guide his hands.

"Alright." Varian noticed the green anticipation surrounding Luke as he spoke. "I can call Magnus if you like? To perform the spell?"

Varian considered it for a moment, before shaking his head and insisting that he could perform the spell on his own. Luke looked embarrassed, and Varian realized he had already made the call. Varian shrugged it off, insisting that it would be alright and acknowledging the fact that he would be comforted by his baba's presence with what was going to happen.

He let them leave the infirmary, feeling rather strange as he watched them go. "Clarissa." Varian called her name without thinking it through, she turned with an excited smile and stepped back into the infirmary. "I need to tell you something."

Her smile turned into a look of confusion. "What is it? Is it something with my mom-"

She continued to ramble, going on and on about how excited she was for her mother to wake up, and Varian found it harder and harder to tell the truth with every word. "Never mind." He finally said, forcing a smile on his face and motioning towards the door. "Let's go wake up your mum."

On the outside, Varian looked as though he was calculating every step of the spell, on the inside he was cursing his weakness, his inability to tell Clarissa the truth. He would have to soon, knowing for a fact that he would feel awful if she were to figure it out on her own.

Merde.


	31. Chapter 31

Varian had yet to see the training room, except for the glimpse of it that he had received while portaling in the few times that he had. But it was exactly what he thought it would be.

Large, hollow, and an entire wall of weapons.

He felt impossibly small when he stepped in, the Book of the White open in his hands. Varian forced a smile as he looked around the room, Clarissa, Luke and Simon all stood side by side a few feet on the other side of the body. Izzy was there beside Clarissa, a comforting arm around her shoulders.

His baba was there too, the amber surrounding him showing Varian how proud he was that he was performing the spell, but Varian could see the hints of blue sadness decorating the air in between. He was worried he was going to loose his son. Varian reached a hand to his baba, and through that contact he shared how much he loved him.

When Varian dropped his hand, he reopened the Book of the White, and with a wave of his left hand the book started to float in the air on his left. He took a deep breath, looking across the body of Jocelyn Fairchild to lock eyes with Alec.

"You alright?" Alec's voice was soft as he spoke, just barely a whisper, and Varian just nodded.

"I'm going to need your strength." Varian replied, continuing to regulate his breathing as he prepared himself for the strain of the spell. He wanted to explain why, but Alec interrupted. 

"You've got it." Alec smiled in a comforting way.

Varian nodded, turning his face from Alec, he lifted his voice to speak to the small crowd of Shadowhunter's that were in the room. "I recommend stepping back a few feet, this is a powerful spell."

Varian took a deep breath, before lifting his hands over Jocelyn, one over the heart, on over the head.

His magic started to spread over her body, a mixture of emerald and lilac, and Varian's eyes fell shut. This was a different kind of magic, an older ancient kind that very few Warlock's were able to perform successfully, and Varian was glad for Ragnor's magic.

A pulse passed through the room, and Varian started to speak in Chthonian, a language that he does not know when fully himself. The emerald and lilac weaved a beautiful pattern over Jocelyn's body, but Varian couldn't appreciate it. He began to shake, the strain of the magic becoming to much quickly, the combination of the healing emerald and his new found full Warlock magic started to weaken him.

Another pulse came and in less than a second the beautiful emerald and lilac turned black, and Magnus Bane realized what was happening: Varian was loosing control, and this was too powerful a spell to loose control while performing.

Magnus tried to reach for his son, to share some of his wisdom and to hopefully help in Varian gaining some of the control back, but he was thrown away by a flash of accidental magic, the shout of pain he let out distracted Varian.

"Baba." Varian's voice was deeper than normal, and almost hollow sounding. His eyes snapped open, the color unearthly gold and piercing.

"I'm alright Varian." His baba's voice came without any strain. "Breathe, take control of the spell. You can do this."

That seemed to be exactly what Varian needed to hear, the magic trailing from his fingers turned to a deep lilac and emerald once again, the orb holding Jocelyn Fairchild in the air shuddered.

Varian's eyes stayed wide open as he continued to chant in Chthonian, the words echoed their way through the training room, seeming to break through the barriers of every Shadowhunters mind in the entire Institute.

There was an audible snap, and the magic holding Jocelyn in the air dissipated. Luke stepped forward, gathering Jocelyn in his arms as she slowly started to move.

Alec reached for Varian, his hand hovering inches away, but whatever trance that kept Varian out of it all didn't fade. His eyes still bright and gold, Varian stepped past Alec's arm, reaching a delicate hand up to press to Jocelyn's forehead.

"Ikuru ume."

Jocelyn seemed to gasp for air, and Varian's trance broke at the sound.

Varian stumbled, his knees buckling below him as he started to fall backwards, Alec was there in an instant, wrapping his arms around Varian and holding him tightly.

"Varian-" Alec's voice was distant in Varian's ears.

It took him to long to come back to the land of the living, his head heavy, and his eyes burned. He smiled up at the face above him, a dazed look in his eyes.

"Alec, how'd I do?" Varian's words were slow to come out, but Alec just smiled brightly.

"Perfectly."

That seemed to pull Varian the rest of the way out of his trance, and with Alec's held he stood to his feet, his eyes focusing on Jocelyn Fairchild.

It was the first time he had seen the woman in seventeen years, and she looked right through him.

Not that Varian was necessarily expecting or wanting anything else, but there wasn't even a shimmer of recognition in her eyes.

And it hurt Varian, though he didn't want to admit it, especially after he watched Jocelyn wrap her arms around Clarissa in a loving way.

"I feel like I should go." Varian forced a smile, looking at Alec as he did. "I don't want to interrupt this family moment."

"Stay," Alec's voice was breathy as he looked down at Varian. In a spur of the moment, he pressed a quick kiss to Varian's lips. "I want you too."

Varian nodded, "Let's find Jace."

The sudden realization that Jace was still missing came to as a shock to Alec, and he nodded, swallowing thickly. He muttered about not being able to feel Jace through their Parabatai bond, but Varian reassured him that they would find him.

Varian felt at fault, like he should have spoken up and told everyone that he was Valentine's other son and maybe Jace wouldn't have gone with him.

He opened his mouth to speak to everyone, finally ready to come clean, when the blaring alarms of the Institute echoed through the room.

Varian felt disappointment at being interrupted once again, but let the disappointment wither away as he ran alongside Alec and the others towards the Ops room.

What could be wrong this time?

~~~

Translations:

"Ikuru ume" = Breathe


	32. Chapter 32

Varian wasn't use to letting people be near him, usually a room of more then three people was overwhelming, and he wouldn't be able to even come close to entering the room without a throbbing headache.

But Alec Lightwood made everything different.

As Varian and the rest of the others gathered in the ops room, Varian didn't feel overwhelmed, nowhere close to that, and he fully blamed it all on Alec. He constantly radiated this calm sort of emotion, and if it were anything else it would be overbearing, but on Alec it was just what Varian needed to not loose his head in a room of panicked Shadowhunters.

"We are at war." Maryse Lightwood was the one to speak, the red bright and angry surrounding her. Her eyes scanned the crowd as she continued, as if judging every single person where they stood.

Varian felt as though her eyes bore into his soul and could see the lies that he was telling.

"Valentine now has the Mortal Cup, with which he is, no doubt, raising a new army." She paused, and with no sign of remorse she said; "One of our own has joined him."

Varian leaned towards Alec, smiling softly when the tower of a man bent down to be able to hear him. "The Queen is taking back her kingdom." It was said in a light joking tone, but there was almost a hint of regret in his words. Alec nodded, standing to his full height, their hands brushed against each other, and in a moment of uncharacteristic softness, Alec grabbed Varian's hand and held it in his own.

"As a result-" Varian couldn't concentrate on the fact that he was holding Alec's hand as Maryse continued. "The Clave has declared a state of emergency at the Institute. Their first priority is to replace the current leadership, who they have deemed wholly ineffectual."

Varian noticed the way that Lydia Branwell squared her shoulders in the front row, the violet tendrils of pride decorating her hair.

"It is an honor to introduce the newly appointed head of the New York Institute, Clave representative," She paused, as if almost for affect, before motioning to the man standing just behind her. "Victor Aldertree."

Varian's eyes narrowed in on the man, instantly distrusting him and finding that he could not like the man, as his first impression of Aldertree was the ginger-orange and grey-black of a dishonest and untrustworthy man. This would not bode well for the Institute and any Downworlder involved.

"My fellow Shadowhunters." Varian looked at the man in obvious surprise at hearing an accent so similar to his own. "It is an honor to be here with all of you."

Aldertree stepped forward, and without meaning to Varian tensed up, his hand wrapping around Alec's just a little tighter.

"We have to find Jace Wayland. He is a Shadowhunter, and we don't leave our people behind." It was the only part of the Shadowhunter way that Varian agreed with. "The answer to his location may very well lie in this room. I will be holding interviews with everyone who went on a mission with Jace before he disappeared."

Varian turned to face Alec, "I think I have an idea-"

"One more thing." Aldertree spoke again, and when Varian turned Aldertree seemed to be looking directly at the Vampire and Werewolf standing just to Varian's side. "Effective immediately, the Institute is on lockdown. But it's only temporary. Let's turn this Institute around."

Alec looked down at Varian with an almost panicked expression, a silver grey twirling around him, a far cry from his usual calm. Varian could feel the emotions of the others in the room because of Alec's slip into panic. Izzy made her way over, Clarissa just behind her, and Simon just behind her.

"If we're on lockdown, who's out there looking for Jace?" Izzy rung her hands in front of her, her emotions nearly the same as Alec's.

"We'll think of something Iz." Varian smiled in a reassuring way, stepping ever so slightly closer to Alec as he scoured his mind for any kind of idea. "I need to go back to my flat, I'll be back in a few hours."

The second half of Varian's words was directed to Alec, who just nodded in a distracted way.

Varian pulled him along towards the front door of the Institute, unconsciously leading him to the same crook in the wall that they had shared a moment in a few days before. Varian laid his hand on Alec's chest, just above his heart, and attempted to share just a little calmness through the contact.

"Alec," Varian's voice was just above a mumble. "I promise we'll find Jace. I promise."

He shook his head, taking Varian's hand in his and lowering it from his chest. "You don't know that."

"I don't, you're right." Varian smiled up at him, tightening his hands around Alec's as he continued to speak. "But I don't like breaking promises darling."

He stood on his toes, pressing a soft kiss to Alec's cheek before dropping his hands and stepping out of his circle of comfort.

"I'll be back soon." Varian dipped his head, smiling to himself as he turned away, with a wave of his hand the door leaving the Institute warped into a portal and Varian stepped through.

In truth Varian wasn't sure what he would find at his flat, beside the usual (and he hated the fact that it was) energy replenish potion and a few of Ragnor's books.

For the first time since his change, Varian let go of the mirage that he held over his hair, and when he caught sight of himself in the darkened window in his kitchen he frowned. Mirrors has always been something that Varian avoided, no matter the situation, but for the first time he wished he could have taken a better look at his hair and the little horns that had grown in size (if only slightly) since the change.

"Merde." Varian muttered once again, shaking his head in a way of wiping the image from his mind. The fridge opened on its own, Varian reached inside, pulling the tall pitcher of slightly glowing orange liquid out and pouring himself a glass.

His baba always poked fun at the fact that he kept the pitcher constantly full, but there were enough times that he needed the potion that slowly, whether it was helping with a Werewolf's first transformation or needing to stay awake threw the night when his mind was too loud, there became a need for it.

Varian crossed the flat with easy steps and his glass in hand, sipping as he went, and opening the door of his work room with a wave of his hand.

The interior had changed drastically in the last forty-eight hours, a side effect of Varian now owning all of Ragnor Fell's books, ingredients, and pretty much any possession that wasn't already promised to someone else.

With a deep sigh, Varian got to work.


	33. Chapter 33

Three hours later, and Varian was happy for the energy replenish potion more than anything else, and maybe thermos'.

He left the flat in the same way that he had arrived, with a wave of his hand and a portal-door that took him directly inside the Institute. His shoulder weighted down by the books that he had brought with him, though few in number, the knowledge that each carried would help in finding Jace Wayland, or so he hoped.

"And what are you doing here Warlock?"

Varian flinched without meaning too, unconsciously turning away from the voice of Maryse Lightwood and acting like he had not heard her, despite the obvious fact that he had in fact heard her. He continued through the Institute, ducking his head as though he could disappear into the fake blue of his hair, as if it could provide him protection in a room of prejudice Shadowhunters.

"Alec." Varian breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the Shadowhunter that he had begun to think so fondly of.

He picked up the pace, the clacking of heels behind him slowed, signaling that the matriarch of the Lightwood family had stopped following him, though the anger of him being there followed him as he crossed the threshold into the training room.

Alec was punching in strong arks against the hanging practice bag, the olive green of frustration seemed to dull with every punch. It was his way of re-gaining control of his emotions, and from what limited interaction he had with someone that had such lax control with their emotions, it meant that Alec had just lost control and snapped at someone.

Varian stopped a foot or so away, just outside the usual wingspan of someone Alec's height and size.

"Alec." Varian's voice was firmer this time, he was trying to break Alec out of whatever trance that he was caught in, and was successful.

The Shadowhunter whipped around, and Varian was glad to be outside of his reach, as a stray punch came flying in his direction. Alec looked immediately remorseful, lifting his hands in a way that told Varian he meant no harm.

That was the only thing Varian could be entirely sure of these days; that the Shadowhunter standing in front of him would not harm him, no matter the situation.

Varian smiled lightly, "I've got some books that might be able to help, but otherwise, I have already begun to speak to my," he paused, weighing the word internally before speaking, "contacts in the Downworld, people who have promised their help to me."

"That's good, that's good." Alec nodded, almost distracted as he unraveled the tape on his knuckles. "I just want him found." He spoke over a yawn.

Varian steps forward, readjusting the grip he had on his thermos before offering it to Alec. "Drink, it'll help."

Alec didn't even question what was being offered to him, and Varian felt himself swell with happiness as he realized the man trusted him so much. He grimaced at the taste, before taking another sip.

Varian didn't even try to hide how much he liked the way Alec's muscles moved under the tight Henley that he was wearing, a light blush coating his cheeks as he brought himself to look away. He took the thermos back, taking a sip for himself, and motioning towards the bench beside him.

Alec took a seat on the bench, blinking twice as Varian took a seat on the floor by his feet, crossing his legs in almost a child like way as he started to pull the books from his shoulder bag.

"This ones the most promising." Varian muttered, passing the book up to Alec while he continued to work on pulling the rest of the books out. "It's mostly in Chthonian, but a few passages are translated in the margins."

Varian missed the smile that Alec gave him, his concentration on pulling another heavier book out of the bag.

"This less so, but it's in English majorly." Varian paused, opening the book and shaking his head, "Actually it's in Latin, sorry."

"I can read Latin." Alec assured, setting the Chthonian book on the ground beside Varian and accepting the Latin one instead. "Part of my training in Idris."

That was a moment of sudden realization for Varian.

They were raised on the opposite sides of the universe, or so it felt. Alec Lightwood with his Shadowhunter training in Idris, learning to kill and handle Downworlders from a young age, and Varian learning to control his Warlock magic with his baba while traveling the world.

Varian was in a vulnerable possession, his legs all tucked up underneath him, his shoulder pressed against the bench. Alec had the high ground, and under any other circumstance, Varian would have not allowed it. But there was an amount of comfort that Varian felt with Alec. As if he could let down his walls for just a little while and breathe easy with no concern for his safety because someone else had his back.

The man sitting on the bench above him had been trained to kill Downworlders since basically birth, albeit rogue ones, but Downworlders nonetheless, and Varian couldn't be any more at ease.

"Varian," Alec's voice was soft, he didn't reach to touch the Warlock, as if worried about messing with his concentration. "What about this?"

Varian looked up at him, his head lifting so suddenly his eyes wide in wonder. He poked his head over the cover of the book, lifting slightly on his legs to hold himself higher.

The spell in question was dangerous, and for one brief moment, Varian realized the Parabatai bond must be strong between Alec and Jace, because only someone like Jace would choose a spell so reckless.

"No." Varian shook his head firmly, his right hand coming to rest on the bench beside Alec in a way of steadying himself, his left flitted across the page, pointing at various words as he did. "That is mortem it means 'death' and that is laboriose it means 'painfully', so no."

Alec hummed, and Varian could tell he didn't want to take no for an answer.

Varian started to say something else, almost feeling an obligation to explain why he was so insistently saying no, but the attack alarms started to blare, and all previous conversation was forgotten.


	34. Chapter 34

Alec got to his feet first, having the advantage of being on the bench, but he didn't run off to answer the call, instead, he bent over and helped Varian stack the books together and tuck them under the bench to be out of the way, and then offered a hand to Varian to help him stand.

"Thank you." Varian mumbled, ignoring the way his magic reacted at Alec's touch.

Alec didn't let go as he continued towards the ops room, and Varian made no move to pull free, he just trailed along, attempting to keep up with the long strides of his Shadowhunter.

"Who sounded the alarm?" It was Izzy who spoke first when the pair reached the ops room. "What's going on?"

Everyone had swarmed to see the commotion, even Varian had his eyes peeled to see what would come of their gathering. There was something so tangible in the air, a greyish-black color that seemed to radiate from everyone, but as Varian narrowed his eyes he noticed it coming from one specific person, though he couldn't tell who.

"Is this everyone? Fantastic." Aldertree clapped his hands together, and silence fell over the room.

On the edge of Varian's gaze he saw Luke Garroway and Jocelyn Fairchild, standing impossibly close, a near replica could be found a few feet away in Clarissa Fairchild and Simon Lewis. Without meaning to, Varian smiled at the proximity of the latter, noticing the pink tinge in the air around Simon.

Aldertree had made his way down the set of stairs by the time Varian refocused on him, he stood in front of the two couples Varian had just had his eyes on. His voice seemed to echo around the room as he continued to speak.

"First up," He looked at Luke Garroway and Simon Lewis, an amused smile on his face. "All Downworlders are forbidden from entering the Institute without my prior approval. For all those still present, good day."

Varian watched the way that the Werewolf shoulders tensed up, no doubt he was narrowing a glare on the shorter man.

"Mr. Greymark-"

"I'm not leaving Jocelyn." Garroway interrupted, and Varian had to commend him for his confidence, if not his idiocy in the moment. "Besides, my badge gives access to resources that you don't have. I can help you find Jace."

Aldertree smiled a tight lipped smile, "That's generous of you, but I'm going to have to insist."

If not for the fact that Varian did not want to draw attention to himself, he would have stepped forward and stood up for the Werewolf. It was an odd protective feeling that Varian instantly blamed on the fact that he had used so much of his energy to heal the man all those weeks ago.

Varian watched with a firm gaze as Luke muttered something to Jocelyn, shot a pointed glare at Aldertree, before making his way towards the front door with barely a glance over his shoulder.

"You too," Aldertree's eyes turned from the retreating Werewolf to the Fledgling Vampire, seeming to not know his name.

"Simon." The Vampire in question offered.

"Yes, Simon." Aldertree waved his hand in a dismissive way. "Scurry on."

Varian found himself distracted by the way that Alec seemed to slowly move in front of him, as if blocking him from being noticed by the new head of the Institute. He could just barely see Simon leave the room after the Werewolf.

There was a pause, a long nearly awkward pause before Aldertree spoke again. "And where is that Warlock?"

Varian felt as though his blood was running cold through his veins, despite the improbability of the situation. Alec visibly tensed in front of him, unconsciously making himself bigger to hide the Warlock.

"There you are," Aldertree's voice had an edge to it, and Varian felt as though he was standing in front of Camille Belcourt again, a shiver running down his spine as he stepped out from behind Alec. His eyes stuck firmly to the ground as Aldertree approached. "I would like a word, if you could make your way to my office."

Varian made no attempt to move, his eyes trained on the loafers that Aldertree was wearing. The shoes were entirely improbable, given his line of work. If an attack came, he would be unable to get a grip on the ground to fight back. The loafers turned and walked away.

"Now then, I've reviewed your statements, along with the reports of your unsanctioned missions, and I can come to no other conclusion that Jace Wayland is a traitor to the Clave." Aldertree's voice was firm, as if there was no other decision to be made on the subject. "Jace Wayland has had multiple chances to kill Valentine, but chose to not, and now, Valentine, Jace, and the Mortal Cup is missing."

Varian looked up from the ground, his eyes turning to Alec as he noticed the twitch in his jaw, the air around him turning red with anger. Varian reached over and rested a hand on Alec's arm, a small comforting smile on his face.

"We will get to him first, I promise." Varian's voice was light as he spoke, and Alec smiled in appreciation.

Aldertree waved everyone off, and Izzy nearly shouted as she spoke. "There is no way we are going to help you hunt Jace." Alec nodded in agreement, pulling Varian across the room (not that he put up much of a fight against it) to aid in his sisters defiance.

"And I'd never ask you too." Aldertree almost sounded genuine, but the air around him told Varian that he had a sinister undertone in his words. "You and your friends are prohibited from any further involvement in the hunt for Jace Wayland."

It was like a punch to the gut for Alec, Varian watched as he physically deflated.

"Now then, Mr. Bane, if you'll follow me to my office." He motioned to his right, and though Varian nodded that he would, he made no move to go first. Aldertree fist clenched slightly in the air, before he dropped his hand to his side. "I will see you there then, Mr. Bane."

Varian decided that he did not like the way that Aldertree spoke to him, but he did not say anything as he watched the man disappear. He turned to Alec, grabbing at both of his hands in a way of forming the contact that he had begun to crave.

"You should keep looking through the book Darling. I'll be back after Aldertree speaks to me." Varian smiled up at Alec, standing on his toes and pressing a kiss to the Shadowhunters cheek. "There is a notebook in the bag, a combination of Ragnor and I's notes on the magic in the books. If I remember correctly most of it is English, but I can't be sure, and-"

"Breathe Varian." Alec interrupted, noticing the way that the Warlock was in rambling and in fact not breathing as he did.

Varian took a visibly deep breath, his smile turning to something of a worried one. "I'll be right back."

Alec smiled down at him, lifting his palm to his cheek and pressing a chastised kiss to his forehead. "And I'll be waiting."


	35. Chapter 35

"Ah, Mr. Bane." Aldertree opened the door with a flourish, offering the Warlock his hand to shake in a way of greeting.

It was the first time that Varian had truly gotten to look at the man, despite the few glances from across the room while he was announcing things to the Shadowhunters (and the few Downworlders) during the first meeting, and as he had already decided he did not like him. The man was only a few inches taller than Varian, but he gave off the air of a man bigger and larger than himself.

"Aldertree." Varian greeted, firmly avoiding the hand offered to him to shake and instead taking a seat in the corner of the couch, crossing his arms in front of him, and his legs crossed to match. As if he were trying to take up as little space as possible, his eyes did not look up from the impractical loafers that the man wore.

Aldertree chose not to properly sit in a chair, perching himself on the arm of the wing chair that was a matching pair to the one next to it. His phone was sitting on a stand that was pointed at Varian, obviously meant to record the conversation going on. Aldertree made no move to start the recording, instead his eyes locked firmly on Varian a scrutinizing gaze that made him wish more than anything he wasn't in the office with him.

"I believe you have formed a sort of," Aldertree paused, as if it hurt him to say the word, "relationship, with Alexander Lightwood."

Varian looked up at the man, an heir of confidence that he did not feel stopped his hands from shaking as he spoke. "And I believe that is none of your business."

Aldertree hummed, smiling as if Varian's words amused him, though the emotion was untrue. The chartreuse surrounding the man informed Varian of just how annoying he found the Warlock, the sentiments were returned.

"I suppose you're right." Aldertree's accent was so specifically Scouse, which led Varian to believe he was born in raised in Liverpool, a far cry from Varian's Oxfordshire accent. "I want you to help track Jace Wayland."

Varian did not respond, and tried to keep his face neutral. He would help track down Jace, as he had already begun by finding Alec any books that could help, but not at Aldertree's request.

"I'll ask again-"

"But you didn't ask the first time." Varian interrupted, his voice firm with confidence that he did not have. "You told me you wanted my help."

And there was that suppressed smile again, Varian was pushing his buttons, which was something he hadn't meant to do (though he enjoyed the way Aldertree attempted to seem like it didn't bother him). The empath in Varian could see through every false and suppressed look.

"Will you track Jace Wayland?" It was phrased as a question, with a hint of aggression if Varian did not say yes.

Varian had a knack for making deals, his baba (and most Warlocks and Downworlders) came to Varian when they were in need of any sort of help with deals. He had a knack for contracts, which was half of the reason why Camille Belcourt chose to come to Varian for the Writ. The Downworld lawyer in Varian felt the need to point out the loophole in Aldertree's question, one that he quickly chose to exploit.

"Yes." Varian said.

Aldertree smiled proudly, "Then you are allowed in the Institute, so long as you help to track down Jace Wayland and Valentine Morgenstern. Anything past that, and I will bar you from the Institute."

The tone was threatening, but Varian was unconcerned, his eyes trailed back down to the loafers.

"Good." Aldertree pat his legs as he stood, the color of annoyance change to a darker green, pride. He found himself proud in the way he had persuaded Varian to help in tracking down Jace.

Varian found him stupid, but he would not say it.

He stood, moving to leave through the door he came in through, feeling more than satisfied in the way he had acted around Aldertree, though there was something hidden just below the surface of the way he had told Aldertree that he would help. Varian felt anxious, a strange feeling running through the air as he left the office.

As soon as Varian heard the click of the office door behind him, he took off running, speared by the anxiety of being alone on a hallway of a place that did not like people like him, in more way than one. He laughed as he nearly fell down the tall staircase that led the way to where Varian knew Alec would be, a snorting laugh that was much to loud for a silent place as this.

He suppressed it with a smile when he reached the bottom, carding a hand through his hair in an attempt of calming himself down, before almost immediately wincing when his fingers caught the horns that had only just stopped growing.

"Varian." The voice was soft, almost wary to speak to him, though much to familiar to be ignored. He turned, his eyes locking onto the form of Jocelyn Fairchild, a wave of passive fear washing over him, his hands started to shake at his sides.

"Miss Fairchild." Varian nodded his head in a way of greeting, once again avoiding the hand that was reached out to him for a shake. He did not like the way that she felt familiar enough with him to call him by his first name, though he did not comment on it.

"Thank you." She smiled awkwardly, a look he recognized in Clarissa plenty of times, dropping the avoided hand to her side. "For waking me up."

Varian shook his head, "You would do better to thank Ragnor Fell." It was an almost programmed response to give, though the hollow feeling that followed the name was something Varian was not expecting. "It was his passing of the Book of the White to me that led to the breaking of the spell."

Jocelyn nodded, "I hoped he would be here for me to thank, but from what I hear he died only days ago."

The hollow feeling fluttered in Varian's chest, but he nodded. "A demon attack."

She appeared apologetic, before her phone started to ring and she quickly excused herself.

It was a strange feeling to not be recognized by his own mother, though she was barely that to him. He pushed whatever emotion that it was away, turning with a dramatic spin, he continued through the Institute and back into the training room.

He wished to walk in and find Alec going at the punching bag once again (specifically with his shirt off) only to find himself disappointed that neither Alec or his stack of books were there. Instead it was Clarissa and Izzy, going at each other with Bo Staff's, Varian found himself smiling, it was after all his preferred weapon of choice.

Varian paused in stride and in thought, watching as Clarissa and Izzy fought. The former sufficiently out skilled by the latter. 

"Might I join?" Varian asked, feeling encouraged by the bright smile and excited nodding from Izzy.

He stepped forward, lifting his hand into the air and smiling as one of his rings unraveled itself from his pinky finger. It extended without a a low crackle sound to be ever so slightly taller than Varian.

"Right then," Varian spun the staff from hand to hand with an easy flourish, "Let's begin."


	36. Chapter 36

There is a satisfying sense of calm that Varian receives from a good spar.

The feeling of the Bo staff clicking against another and the control necessary to stop the staff inches from the bare skin of an opponent to gain an upper hand in the fight brought a sense of peace. It was good fun practicing by himself or with his baba but facing against a Shadowhunter of high skill brought a new sense of satisfaction when a point is earned.

Clarissa watched on, as Varian paused the staff inches away from Izzy side that had been left open as she attempted a rather large swing. He smiled in victory.

"You keep your elbows to high, and feet to close." Varian commented in finality, spinning the staff over the back of his hand one, twice, before letting it transform back into a ring on his finger. "You are a fairly talented opponent Izzy, but I believe Clarissa would like to try again."

Varian instantly looked over at her in an apologetic way, setting a hand on his chest and restating the nickname that she went by. Varian turned to Izzy, bowing at the waist to thank her for the match, before turning on his heel in an attempt to continue to find Alec.

Aldertree was in the ops room, and from the look that he was giving Varian he was in disbelief that the Warlock was not already starting on the task requested of him.

Varian ignored the man, taking the long way through the Institute and honing in on the distinct feelings of Alec Lightwood. Though the emotions he radiated leaned more towards frustration than calmness, Varian still recognized it as Alec.

The man in question was tucked into a table in the corner of the library, and if Varian had the chance too he would wander the room for days just for the chance to see every Shadowhunter Codex and spell book that decorated the walls. Instead he moved through the shelves of the room towards the table, his steps light as to not disturb the concentration of Alec.

Varian admired him, the way his body looked as he hunched over the table, his shoulders drawn close together and his lips speaking inaudibly as he read through the words on the pages. It was an intimate setting, though not in the usual way. Alec did not look like the Shadowhunter he had been trained to be, instead he looked like a man trapped in the world of a good book.

"Alec." Varian's voice was soft, he reached his left hand out, brushing it against Alec's shoulder.

He tensed every so slightly at Varian's touch, before relaxing and leaning back. "How was Aldertree?"

"Rude, and he spoke in a threatening way." Varian said it in a careless tone, as if he was unbothered by it, when in fact it was the opposite. He added his other hand to Alec's shoulders, starting to kneed the muscles just below the skin, almost wincing at the tension he found there.

"I'm sorry." Alec's voice was slow, he leaned back into Varian's hands, relaxing into the massage that he was receiving. 

"Don't apologize." Varian muttered, "He's an arse, but I can handle it. I said I would help with the hunt for Jace to get him off my back, but I did not say who I would help."

Alec nodded, leaning his head back to rest on the top of the chair, his eyes looking up at Varian as he concentrated on kneading the knots in Alec's shoulders.

"Did you find anything else in the books?" Varian's asked.

Alec groaned a bit as Varian found a particularly large knot and worked it away with easy fingertips. "I want to track him through my Parabatai rune."

Varian's hands stilled and were gone from his shoulders quickly, a frown decorating his face as he shook his head. "And as I've said that is not a spell I am willing to perform."

Alec stood suddenly, the chair scratching as his legs pushed the chair away. He turned, his emotions turned yellow-pink, a form of excitement as he explained what he wanted to do, as if Varian did not already understand. "It's not a spell, it's a rune. I just need your magic for the pain."

Varian shook his head, trying to miss the angry look that Alec gave him. "I cannot help you with this. The rune will weaken your bond, you could loose him."

Alec's face turned angry, his aura darkening to a burgundy red. "Why can't you just do this one thing! After everything I've done for you!" Varian was fully aware that the anger that Alec felt was not actually directed towards him, but rather towards every other situation in his life. Alec threw his hands into the air in frustration, to punctuate the feelings that he felt.

Varian took a step backwards, flinching and lifting his hands to protect himself. A movement that he had not meant to make, but did anyways.

The moment that Alec realized what he had done, he tried to fix it, the burgundy turning to sky blue, he stepping forward and reaching a hand to him. Varian took another step back, looking at the hand like it would harm him, to many times had a hand offered to him under the guise of being helpful had turned into something aggressive. It was a programmed response.

Varian heart was beating fast, his hands shaking as they sat in the air between him and the memories of a man who had harmed him. Alec's face was no longer his, instead it was a Vampire that had caused so much anxiety and fear in him.

Varian turned, trying to calm his breathing as he found himself stumbling from the library, Alec's voice following him as he went. He could not leave the Institute despite his want to, and in his addled mind he found himself back in the now empty training room.

More than anything he wanted to curl into a ball in the corner of the room and wish himself some place else, but he pushed that feeling away as he took a seat in the center of the room. His magic would provide a sense of calm for him, he let his eyes fall shut and his hands rest palm up on his knees.

A faint purple glow started in his hands as he thought about Jace Wayland and the connection he had with the Shadowhunter's in the Institute. His mouth moved with faint inaudible words, a solemn chant repeated to narrow the magic.

"Jace Wayland, me quaerere te." Over and over again, a mental map spinning through Varian's mind.

The panic faded the more that he lost himself in the magic, and soon it was just Varian and the search for Jace.

~~~

Translations:

"Me quaerere te" = I seek you


	37. Chapter 37

There are different kinds of magic that every Warlock has access too.

Of course, Varian found himself with a talent in most magic, his baba was ironically the opposite. He was talented with practical magic, defensive spells, attack spells, that sort of thing.

Because Varian was Ragnor Fell's heir, this talent in most magic grew into a talent in all magic (though at various degrees of strength). Tracking magic was one of those, previously Varian would avoid tracking someone as he would find himself far to embarrassed to find the wrong person, or find a past location of the subject.

But that didn't happen with his tracking of Jace, he very clearly could see the Shadowhunter in his minds eye, the issue was that the rest of the room was too blurry to see. Extensive wards surrounded him, just barely stronger than Varian in his half-tired still-panicked state.

He spent hours in the place with Jace, trying to poke and prod at every inch of the ward to get a glimpse of the room. The Shadowhunters of the Institute firmly avoided entering the training room, for fear of being on the receiving end of the Warlock loosing concentration, not that Varian would every hurt someone for breaking his concentration (except, perhaps, Victor Aldertree).

When Varian finally gave up on trying to crack the wards, he opened his eyes to find Alec Lightwood sitting across from him. A healthy distance of six feet between the two, a yet-to-be-spoken apology sitting on his lips. Alec's hands fiddled with an arrow, but when the lilac left the room, he looked up at Varian. The arrow disappearing into the quiver on his shoulder.

"Varian." Alec's voice was soft, his hands coming to rest on his crossed legs as he attempted to take on a non-threatening demeanor.

Varian ignored him, standing to his feet much to quickly and stretching his back, a series of clicks and pops sounding at the movement his eyes shut. The stretch being exactly what he needed in the moment. Alec stood in a graceful way. Varian's eyes opened, watching in a cautious way as Alec approached, still keeping his distance out of courtesy, but standing close enough that Varian could feel the warmth radiating from his skin.

"I'm not good at apologies." Alec's voice was still soft, though his words every so slightly louder than the previous ones. "But I'm sorry, I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have gotten angry at you, and I shouldn't have yelled."

Varian had already decided to accept Alec's apology, fully aware that his reaction hadn't been Alec's fault, and that Alec couldn't be careful of his actions if he did not know what had previously happened. But Varian wasn't ready to tell, so he just nodded, letting Alec continue.

Alec took a cautious step forward, feeling encouraged when Varian did not step back. "With Jace missing, the ground has shifted, and I can't keep my balance." It was an eloquent explanation, and Varian took a small step closer in response. "I didn't mean to take it out on you. I'm sorry."

Varian leaned his head to the side, a small smile creeping on his face at the white color of truth surrounding him. "You're forgiven."

Those two words were all that Alec needed to close the minuscule distance between their two bodies. He wrapped his arms around Varian's waist, pulling him flush against his chest as he leaned down to kiss him.

Varian smiled into the kiss, one hand coming to rest on Alec's chest, fingers splayed. He could feel the warmth of Alec's skin just below the thin shirt that he was wearing. Alec let one hand wander from his waist up to his hair, a strange amount of talent for someone who had not been in a relationship (at least one that Varian was aware of).

Alec's fingers threaded through Varian's hair, his fingers thunking painfully against the little horns hidden below the layers of his hair.

Varian pulled back, "Merde." He muttered, partly in response to the pain now radiating through his skull at the aggressive accidental hit to his new horns, but also as a reply to the kiss he had been receiving from the tall dark and handsome Shadowhunter across from him.

Alec looked confused, his eyebrows scrunched together and his lips twisted into a frown. For a moment, Varian thought he was put off by his discovery, but that was quickly pushed away when Alec started to apologize. "By the Angel did I hurt you? I am so sorry."

It had, in fact, hurt quite a lot, but Varian just shook his head, throwing a cautious glance to the open archways that he had forgotten was there, though no one seemed to notice his and Alec's moment.

Varian waved his hand through the air, and Alec watched with barely hidden surprise as the room they were in shook slightly before disappearing in its entirety. The same action was repeated, and they were in Alec's room.

"That was amazing." Alec's voice held a tone of astonishment, and for just barely a second Varian wondered why, before realizing that the Shadowhunter had probably not seen a lot of Warlock magic growing up. "But why are we here?"

"It gives a little privacy." Varian's response came with minimal blush, "I have some things that I haven't shared with you, that I probably should before this, whatever this is, continues."

"Alright." Alec smiled in an encouraging way, taking a few steps backward to sit on the edge of his bed.

Varian made no move to sit as he took a deep breath. "Oh bloody hell, I don't know where to start." Varian mumbled, resisting the urge to card a hand through his hair, he took another deep breath. "You remember how Ragnor Fell died?"

Alec blinked twice, as if he wasn't sure why that is what Varian decided to start with, before nodding to tell him he did.

"I had been there for less then twenty-four hours before Clarissa and Jace had arrived, and accidentally brought the demon that had killed him. Ragnor had named me his heir." Varian said it with a small smile, it was a happy memory, despite the sadness surrounding it all. "It's something that Warlocks do when they know their end is coming. They create a will of sorts, almost like Mundanes, and divide everything between their friends. The only difference being that Warlocks can give their magic to others."

Alec made a noise of surprise, before muttering an apology and motioning for Varian to continue.

"I'm not a Warlock, or I wasn't before Ragnor named me his heir." Once again, Alec was visibly surprised, but Varian just continued. "Oh hell, this is so much harder than I hoped it would be."

Varian took a shaky breath, smiling in an apologetic way, before basically spitting out the next words.

"I was a Shadowhunter before all of this." Alec looked confused, but didn't say anything. "Clarissa Fairchild is my sister, Jocelyn is the mother who abandoned me and Valentine Morgenstern is the father I do not want."

The air was silent.


	38. Chapter 38

The air surrounding Alec was a mirage of blue, greys, and oranges. Sadness, confusion, fascination.

The absence of red reassured Varian to continue in rambling, not that he would necessarily be able to stop since he's already begun.

"When I was barely a year old, Jocelyn gave me up. My baba says it's because I was showing signs of being different from the small age and she couldn't wipe it away or excuse it as easily as with Clarissa." Varian had seen a few of the memories that his baba had wiped from Clarissa mind as she grew up, it was sad to see someone treated in an entirely opposite way that he had been. "Magnus raised me, he taught me to control the gifts that I had been born with, and when I was just six years old he made me a Secondhand Warlock."

Varian wanted to keep talking, the twisting of his hands in front of him had already started to glow, and he felt his heart racing in his chest. The unspoken question of what a Secondhand Warlock garnered a verbal response.

"It means that I, I share in my baba's, that is, Magnus' magic. Or I did." Varian sighed, lifting a hand to rub at the back of his neck. "By the angel it's so bloody complicated to explain."

"Try." It was the first word Alec had spoken since the beginning of Varian's explanation (i.e. ramblings) and it didn't sound angry. Just a simple statement to try and get a continued response.

Varian nodded, taking a deep breath. "Secondhand Warlocks are rare, especially ones from Shadowhunter families. They have to be chosen by their Warlock parent, but then also choose their Warlock parent. I had no one else other than my baba, and though I knew of my family because of his dislike in lying to me, I never wanted them."

Varian smiled to himself, remembering the conversation, the worry that his baba had in loosing his son at any point in his life, the reassuring smile that Varian gave even for the tender age of six.

"I grew up learning magic, and how to use a various number of weapons, my baba wanted me to feel protected no matter what. It was, quite the childhood." A happy one. "When I went to stay with Ragnor for a few days, he announced his want to make me his heir, and then he died," Varian's voice caught in his throat.

During everything that happened in the last few days, the almost-wedding, the kiss, having to see that damned Vampire again, Varian hadn't had time to mourn. Thinking of Ragnor broke his heart, but he pushed through, swallowing the lump in his throat.

"His magic went into me. It was why I was so tired the day of the, well your wedding." Varian forced a smile on his face, "I'm a Warlock now, full and strong and unsurprisingly powerful, Ragnor's father is, or was, a greater demon. Only Magnus is sure who, I was never privy to that information."

It was silent again.

Alec was in the process of understanding all that Varian had said, and Varian couldn't be sure what was worst. The waiting, or the feeling of getting everything off of his chest.

Alec stood, and Varian took an accidental step back. An emotion flashed through Alec, to quick for Varian to catch what it was. The Shadowhunter held his hands up, palm down, slowly reaching for Varian.

Varian felt a strange sort of comfort in the way that Alec would not touch him without his permission. He took a step closer to the Shadowhunter, a small movement that gave Alec the chance to close the distance.

Alec's arms were warm and firm as he wrapped them around the smaller man, his face ducked into the mans hair, as he held him tightly.

"Thank you for telling me." The words brought an untold amount of comfort to Varian, and he felt himself relax into the arms of the man in front of him. His hands moved to Alec's waist, hooking together on his lower back, Varian's face pushed into his chest.

"You're not mad at me?" Varian's voice was muffled as he spoke into his shirt, feeling like a child as Alec held him.

Alec pulled back, lifting Varian's head to look at him, a smile on his face and a calm look in his eyes. "Never."

Varian smiled brightly, a bout of confidence brought him to stand on his toes and grab the taller man by the back of his neck, pulling him down and kissing his lips. For just a moment, Varian had the upper hand in the kiss, but when Alec's hands moved to Varian's waist, his fingers brushing along the inch of exposed skin. Varian shuddered, dropping back to flat feet, his lips disconnecting from Alec's.

"Bloody hell I'll never get use to that." Varian muttered, his eyes half shut and he smiled.

Alec laughed, a deep chuckle that made Varian blush a deeper red. It was gone quickly, and Varian looked up at him, silently question the absence of laughter from the man.

"I just have one question." Alec muttered, his right hand reaching up to brush the side of Varian's face, delving into the curly hair and lightly touching the horns. As soon as his fingers brushed the horns, he smiled. "Maybe two."

Varian nodded, ready for whatever questions that would come.

"You said your m-, that Jocelyn Fairchild," The correction was well appreciated, "Gave you up to Magnus, you said you had gifts that she couldn't explain away."

Alec wanted to know what they were, and Varian had no wish or want to not tell him. "Well darling, you've already seen one in action." Varian smiled, stepping just out of Alec's arms and moving to sit on the ground, his legs curled underneath him, his hands still in Alec's. "When my baba and the rest brought Luke Garroway to my flat, it was because of the healing magic that I have."

Varian's hands started to glow, the same emerald green as before. "I used it on you as well, when the Forsaken attacked the Institute." It felt like ages ago.

Alec's fingers brushed along Varian's, watching as the emerald bowed out of his way as he passed through it. "Where did it come from?"

"I'm not sure. I've just be able to do it." Varian closed his hands into fists, the emerald disappeared without a sound. "Baba and I did research, with Ragnor's help, but it came to nothing."

Varian lifted his eyes, smiling as Alec looked at him with an astonished look in his eyes. "What else?"

There was a child-like amount of excitement coming off in droves from Alec, and Varian couldn't hide his excitement. He smiled, nodding just as excitedly. "Heavenly Fire."

The way that Alec looked up at him, the brightness of his eyes, the curiosity in the way his nose wiggled when he blinked. "What?"

"I can create and control Heavenly Fire. Here." Varian took both of Alec's hands in his, moving them to cup together inside Varian's. He took a deep breath, ready for the amount of energy he would need to put into the action.

The fire appeared slowly, floating in an unsteady ball above Alec's hands. The man flinched, trying to pull his hands away, visibly worried that he would be burned. He stopped when Varian's hands tightened around his.

"It's not hot." Alec muttered in surprise.

It disappeared with a crackle, and Varian felt very light and dazed. It was too much energy spent to astonish the man. "I don't use it a lot." Varian's voice shook despite his attempts to hold it steady. "It steals to much energy."

Alec hummed as a reply.

"And there's only one other thing," Varian smiled. "I can see peoples emotions, and I get very overwhelmed easily."

Alec squinted, "See?"

Varian lifted his hand, letting it brush the air just around Alec. "Colors in the airs around people, you're mainly yellow right now, a soft sunflower yellow. It means you're happy in this moment."

Varian couldn't be sure what to expect after the reveal of Alec's happiness, but he did not expect the man to reach forward and grab him by the cheeks, planting a firm and happy kiss on his lips.

"You're brilliant."

Varian blushed from the compliment, letting Alec kiss him again. Everything melted away, the reveals of the past few hours, the fear that Varian had felt in sharing everything.

It was just him and Alec, perfectly molded together.


	39. Chapter 39

"You said you had two questions Darling." Varian's voice was soft when he spoke again, whether from the minutes of non-use, or the long term kissing, he couldn't be sure. "What's the second?"

Alec smiled, "The bumps on your head, the ones that hurt you when I touched them." The area surrounding him turned slightly blue, signally that Alec felt bad about the incident.

Varian waved off the apology that was sure to follow if he didn't say or do something. He lifted his hand, de-tangling himself from the older man in the process (something he wished he hadn't a need to do), before softly carding a hand through his hair. He parted it slowly, cautious for the pain that would follow if he touched the horns in too harsh a way, and in the process let the magic holding the blue in his hair fade, and suddenly it was entirely Varian sitting in front of the man, his stark white hair standing out with little black horns curling up. Perfectly and truly himself.

"They're horns," Varian smiled, feeling embarrassed as he avoiding looking the man in the eyes, worried that the new reveal would change the way the man felt about him.

A soft hand reached up and brushed along the curve of Varian's jaw, before falling back and tugging on the hairs at the nape of his neck. Varian looked up at the movement, his cheeks lighting up pink as he found himself rather enjoying the feeling of Alec's hand in his hair.

"I like the white." Alec said it with a small knowing smile, as if it were an inside joke shared between the two of them. In a way it was.

It was quiet between the two, a soft quiet that Varian found comfort in.

Until he didn't.

A specific feeling that he had felt not so long ago, though long enough that he could have sworn he'd forgotten it. Varian's mouth opened as he tried to speak, to warn the man whose arms wrapped around him of the coming event, but it was far to late.

In the same way that he could share emotions through skin to skin contact the flash of images that crossed Varian's mind, that caused his body to go rigid and his mind to wander far, passed into Alec.

An angel rising above a lake, tall and powerful, his voice booming in words that muffled in Varian's ears, a bolt from a crossbow flying through the air, a greater demon searing its way across New York. The distinct sage green of betrayal clouded the visions, and just as quickly as Varian crashed into the vision he snapped out of it.

"Varian open your eyes." It was not the first time Alec had spoken, but it was first Varian had heard.

Alec looked at Varian below, his face contorted into a panicked look, though a slight happiness in his eyes. Varian pressed a hand to his cheek, smiling softly and muttering an apology as he question whether or not he should sit up. Alec's hand cradled his head in such a soft way, his hand sat on his chest, the look in his eyes enough for Varian to ask what he had seen.

The Shadowhunter shook his head, as if unsure what he had seen.

"It's the future, or at least a chance of what the future could be." The image of the angel seared as Varian accidentally recalled it, he winced, before smiling in a soft way and asking once again what Alec had seen.

"I saw Jace." Alec's voice had a questioning edge to it.

Varian smiled, "And I know where he is."

It was a perfect balance, though entirely accidental. In sharing the future with Alec they had both seen what needed to be seen. Alec his parabatai, and Varian the location of the one person he needed to help in this moment.

The smile on Alec's face made up for the missing energy in Varian. He let Alec pull him to his feet, not feeling any embarrassment in his heavy leaning as they moved to leave the room, his hair unconsciously turning back to blue as they went.

Varian mumbled as they went, mostly incoherent spells in a way of passing a message to Jace, to tell him that he has to stay where he is, that they are coming. The image of the crossbow bolt flying through the air alerted Varian to the threat on someone's life, more specifically Jace's, and no matter the concentration he put into the situation he couldn't see the other side of the crossbow.

Alec stopped mid-stride, and Varian nearly went head first down the stairs of the Institute, only stopping when Alec grabbed his arm. "I can't leave the Institute." His voice was so disappointed, and Varian frowned, feeling the sadness as Alec looked down at him.

He was so close to getting his parabatai back, and he was held behind only by Aldertree and his dumb new rule.

"Let me try." Varian muttered, nodding with such reassurance as he stepped down the stairs that Alec believed he could do absolutely anything he put his mind to, which of course he would believe in any situation. Alec followed only steps behind, a flat look on his face.

Aldertree was in the ops room, his hands on his hips and a concentrating look in his eyes. Varian didn't feel any form of negative emotion as he approached the man and interrupted his concentration.

"I've found Jace, and Alec and I are going to retrieve him." It was a statement that gave Aldertree no room to negotiate, though as he turned Varian could see the disagreement in the air around him (a red-green color).

"And where is Jace?" Aldertree asked, it did not garner a response from Varian, and the silence was an obvious annoyance to the new Head of the Institute. "I'll ask again Mr. Bane, where is Jace Wayland?"

Varian could feel the want to laugh radiating off of the man behind him, and if not for the seriousness of the conversation Varian might have cracked a smile.

"I believe, Mr. Bane, you have outstayed your welcome and usefulness." Aldertree waved his hand, and Varian felt Alec step closer. A sudden realization that this was not going how he expected. "These two will take you to my office-"

Varian interrupted, "I am borrowing Alexander and Isabelle Lightwood, we are going to fetch Jace Wayland, you are not invited to join." Once again, no room for negotiation, and even more so once Varian turned and began to make his way to the exit, Alec seconds behind and a wary Izzy crossing the room to join.

He heard the muttered comment of 'follow them' come from Aldertree, but busied himself with concentrating on forming a portal for them to step through.

With one hand in Alec's and the other around Izzy's wrist Varian pulled the both through, letting the portal close with an audible clap behind them, seconds before Aldertree's goons could step in after them.

Varian smiled at Alec in an amused way, a joking tone to his voice as he spoke. "Sometimes it is better to tell, then to ask."


	40. Chapter 40

The shudder that passed through Varian after the words left his lips was prominent, his knees shook as they tried to hold him up, and his hands reached for whatever would keep him standing.

Both hands caught onto the guard rail next to him, he felt his skin pale, and the mirage over his hair started to fail. He huffed out a breath, feeling the magic that held him together start to seep out of every joint and every breath that shuddered through his lips.

"Varian." Alec's lips were moving, his face twisted into a look of concern, a hand warm on his waist. "Varian."

Varian looked at him, the edges of his vision turned blurry the harder he looked. "I've used to much." His voice cracked as he spoke, and Alec nodded, pulling Varian closer to his chest, and wrapping an arm around his shoulders. There was a firm amount of comfort in the embrace, and as Alec took Varian's hand in his own he could feel the Shadowhunter forcing an amount of energy through the skin to skin contact.

He didn't oppose.

Varian could only half pay attention to the trios physical surroundings as they walked down the street, his concentration more on the people and feelings that flit through the air as they move.

A specific emotion caught his attention, anger, unfiltered awful anger that poured directly from the soul.

"Valentine Morgenstern." Varian's voice was just a whisper, the idea of seeing the villain in such a depleted state terrified him, but he pushed the terror away, he let himself concentrate on the way he felt with Alec's arm around him. "We have to go."

Varian kept his hand in Alec's, but pulled out from under his arm and hurried forward. The pounding of his feet echoed up his body, a jolt to his system, but one that he bear for the sole purpose of getting to his destination. Izzy and Alec put up no fight as they ran steps behind him, their footsteps lighter compared to the staggered stomps that Varian thumped out.

The final corner, the final block was the worst for Varian.

The anger was tangible, and Varian felt as though he was walking through a sludge, though his steps did not slow. Alec kept in stride, only dropping Varian's hand to pull his weapon into the ready position, an arrow notched and pointed at the two across the street. Alec shouted for Jace, to catch his attention, but the shout was ignored.

Jace's seraph blade made a horrible noise as it entered the stomach of the Downworlder woman, and Varian blanched at the sight. His steps faltered, and he was suddenly left in the dust as both Alec and Izzy engaged in a fight with two of Valentine's goons. Varian watched on, ready to act, but unable to stop himself from looking at the dust that the Downworlder woman became.

The Shadowhunter turned, and Varian swallowed past the lump in his throat at the dark look in his eyes. Jace was loosing himself while in the company of Valentine Morgenstern, and Varian felt responsible.

Izzy fell first, and then Alec.

Varian started towards Alec, but only stopped when he waved him off. He turned to face Valentine and Jace, and almost pleading look in his eyes as he looked at Jace.

"Come Jonathon, you've done well." Valentine Morgenstern said it as though he was proud of the death that Jace had cause, a hand smacking against his shoulder in a movement he had been on the receiving end of from his baba plenty of times. It was how he told him he was proud, but this between Valentine and Jace was almost threatening.

"Leave him be Valentine Morgenstern." Varian's voice was much more confident than he felt, he stood with his shoulders high, his hands unmoving by his sides.

The man scoffed, lowering his hand from Jace's shoulder and taking the sword from the young Shadowhunter's hand. "You have no right to speak to me Warlock."

The air around Valentine was red and brown, anger and hate, and the more he looked down his nose at Varian the darker the colors became. The sword spun once, twice in his hand, before he took what he thought was a threatening step closer to Varian.

Varian did not flinch, his head held high, and only a slight twitch in his hand to even signal that he had heard the man speak. Valentine stepped closer, lifting the sword so that it came to rest inches from the young Warlock's neck. 

"Demon half-breed." It was meant to be a threatening insult, and yet Varian did not feel threatened or insulted. The sword moved inches closer, a thrum of the Angelic power passing through the milometers of air in between Varian's neck and the sword.

Varian saw the movement before it was made, and he pulled to the side, his magic reacting to protect him. The threatening weapon was thrown far out of Valentine's reach, and the clatter of it hitting the pavement seemed to echo.

There was black in the air around Varian, he was loosing the grip he had on his magic.

Valentine was lifted into the air, his hands thrown out to the sides, an obvious strain on his face. He commanded that Jace help him, but Jace didn't move to help either party.

Varian's concentration did not falter. So much had happened in the past few weeks, his life had been thrown entirely out of balance, and as he stood facing Valentine Morgenstern, a hand in the air and dark magic flowing freely as it held the man in the air.

It was as easy as a flick of his finger and Valentine Morgenstern would be no more.

The dark side of him, the side that had already lost control was screaming at him to do it, to end the suffering of so many. But a voice whispered in the back of his mind, as if someone was reaching for him.

"Varian."

His hand raised in front of him, lifting the body higher.

"Varian!"


	41. Chapter 41

The feeling of someone just as angry as Valentine entering the area nearly distracted Varian. The hold he had on Valentine in the air faltered ever so slightly, the man dropped a few inches.

"Jonathon help me!" Valentine's voice was strained but not panicked, and something in Varian snapped. His fist clenched in the air, and Valentine let out a shout of pain, and some small part of Varian enjoyed it.

"Merde." He spoke barely above a whisper, and almost in sync both him and Valentine fell to the ground. A ripple of pain passed through Varian as his head hit the ground below him, he made no move to sit up.

A face appeared above him, and Varian's depleted haze it looked like Alec, but the image focused, and it was the man he had been happy to kill moments before. Valentine's mouth moved, before arms wrapped under Varian's shoulders and knees, his head rested against Jace's chest.

He should have fought, he should have tried to get free, but every single inch of him was tired. From the tips of his toes to the ends of his hair on his head, his eyes blinked blearily, watching as Alec tried to stand, his legs wobbly under him.

"Run Jonathon, they want you dead." Valentine's voice echoed in Varian's ears, before a low shout of pain passed through his lips. Valentine's steps faltered as he approached a standing portal, internally Varian was shouting for him to fall to the ground dead, externally he could barely keep his eyes open.

Jace grabbed Valentine's arm as he ran passed, tossing Varian unceremoniously into the portal like a sack of flour.

Varian tried to breath through the pain, the floor of wherever he had landed dug into his hands and his face as he tried to pick himself up. He shook like a leaf, panic flooding through him as he realized he was no longer in a place that he recognized. He pushed himself to his knees, recognizing the fact that Jace and Valentine hadn't come through the portal after him yet.

He scanned where ever it was that he had landed, and at first he believed it was a warehouse, much like where he had had his first interaction with Valentine Morgenstern, but the steady rocking motion of the room alerted him quickly to the fact that he was moving. Most likely over water, and the distinct smell of rust in the air clued Varian into the fact that he was on a carrier ship.

"Bloody hell."

Varian's voice was barely above a whisper as he scanned the room, cages hung from the ceiling, and surrounded the walls. The realization that he was not alone in the vast room came suddenly, a wall of pain and fear slammed into him, the amount of Downworlder's in pain in the room made Varian cry out. The palms of his hands pressed into his temples, he struggled to swallow.

Footsteps sounded behind him, followed by a shouting voice that was distinctly Jace's. "You set me up to kill that Vampire!" A hand landed heavily on Varian's shoulder, and in an attempt to get away Varian spun out of the grip, only to find the concerned face of Jace Wayland standing above him.

"You killed her because it was the right thing to do." Valentine grunted, and out of the corner of his eyes Varian noticed the gaping hole in his shoulder, a side effect of the crossbow bolt that had been shot in an attempt to harm Jace.

Jace visibly ignored Valentine's words as he kneeled beside Varian, a concerned look in his eyes as he tried to see if Varian was alright. His mouth was moving, but Varian couldn't hear. A wave of pain passing over him as he retched, nearly falling face first in the ground at the sudden movement, the only relief coming when Jace placed a hand on Varian, a wave of calm flooding through the connection.

"You could have portaled me anywhere, handed me over to the Clave in Idris, but you didn't." Valentine was smug, his smile twisted as he drew an iratze in his shoulder. "It proves I know you better than you know yourself.

And suddenly the connection was filled with anger, and Varian pulled away, flopping onto his backs as the argument between the two grew into shouting. The realization once again struck that he was no longer in friendly territory, Valentine Morgenstern and Jace had taken him, and he was trapped with depleted magic.

With a wiggle of his fingers, his magic started to wake back up. The simple action already draining his magic, he had to act quickly.

It was a simple portal trick, to form one below him and just drop through, but it stole so much energy so quickly. Varian opened his eyes, feeling the sparking under him. Valentine was just within his fingers, and though he hated to do it, Varian reached out, his fingers wrapping around Valentine's ankle and instantly he started to steal the energy.

Valentine reacted in a dangerously aggressive way, turning and stomping directly on the fragile bone of Varian's wrist. He screamed loudly, but kept the connection, stealing a satisfactory amount of energy before he suddenly disappeared below the surface of the floor.

His wrist was the last thing to disappear, it was bent at a disgusting angle, and the shouts to follow Varian through the portal were angry. He was taken for what felt like only minutes, but as Varian fell through the portal to the same street he had just been on with his allies, they were gone.

When Varian looses consciousness the world notices.

It as if the hum of the world is muted, replaced with a deafening silence. The magic that he wields, the heavenly fire he radiates is silent. His baba notices, the martini glass that he was holding on the other side of the city slips from his grasp, his hand reaching to rest over the heart that aches with pain at the disappearance of the constant hum of his son.

When Varian looses consciousness, the world screams for his heavenly fire and purity of heart.


	42. Chapter 42

Magnus Bane was a flurry of fear as he portaled to the Institute. His hair a wild mess, his makeup in runs down his face.

The front door to the Institute slams open with an unseen force, the Shadowhunters make half-attempts to stop him, no one truly wanting to get in the way of an angry Warlock. He storms through the ops room, following his gut to find the Shadowhunter that his son had such an attachment to in the courtyard.

"Where is my son?" The second the words leave his mouth, he regrets it. Alec looks over at him, a just as terrified look in his eyes, he tries to speak, but all that Magnus can focus on is the woman on the bench.

Jocelyn Fairchild looks up at him with a confused look on her face, the words that she had just been speaking to the little replica next to her lost in the distraction.

Alec appears in front of him, and he looks up at the Shadowhunter. Watching as the man spends much to long trying to form his words. "We tracked down Jace, and during the fight Varian nearly lost control. He was taken by Valentine and Jace, and we're still trying to find him." 

Magnus could see how railroaded the young Shadowhunter felt, and though he felt the need to reach out he didn't. "How the fuck did this happen?" He almost felt bad for his use of language, but he couldn't be bothered with it.

"He-" Alec trailed off, looking obviously pale, Izzy spoke for him.

"Alec and I were down. Varian took over the fight, but when he used his magic it was black as can be and he seemed to shake with power." Izzy sounded scared as she spoke, though she tried to hide it. It was the first time Magnus wished he could see the emotions of others in the way his son did. "Alec was speaking to him, but he seemed unable to hear it, and when he finally got through Varian fell to the ground. Jace took him through the portal."

Magnus Bane didn't have time to get angry, the knowledge that his son had lost control of his magic for the second time in less than a week made him sad. He pushed it away. "We need to find my son."

It was spoken in finality, and no one protested.

~~~

When Varian woke up, he was distinctly numb.

His mind, his body, his magic, all of it a blanket of numbness over his body.

A searing light above his eyes made his mind wince, but his body just blearily blinked. A voice spoke, but the words a jumble in his mind. Varian looked across himself, the room so purely white he was no longer in the street as he had been before, the voice spoke again.

"You're awake." It was said with a yellow tint. "How are you feeling?"

Varian groaned as a response, his mind slowly waking up as he rolled around on the bed. "Where am I?"

The person stepped closer, the fog covering her face cleared away, and Varian recognized the white coat of a doctor. "The hospital, I'm Doctor Beverly Smith. Do you know who you are? Do you know how you got here?"

It was a simple question, and Varian swallowed through the dry lump in his throat. "Varian. Varian Bane." He coughed, a flare of pain passing over him as the movement rocked him. "I got hurt."

The doctor scoffed, but not in a rude way, more of a light hearted joking tone. "More than that Mr. Bane. You're severely dehydrated, your blood pressure dropped drastically. You have a Colles fracture in your left wrist, and a displaced scaphoid wrist fracture. Two of your fingers are broken."

Varian didn't need it explained to him, he could feel the injury even through the steady stream of morphine coming through his IV.

The doctor took another step closer to the bed, poking and prodding at the machines surrounding his bed side. Varian had never stepped foot in a Mundane Hospital, he quickly realized that he did not in fact like it.

"When can I leave?" Varian already made the move to sit up, noticing the splint and wrappings around his wrist. Doctor Smith attempted to stop Varian but he pushed her away. "I have to get home."

Doctor Smith shook her head. "Mr. Bane we are concerned that you are being abused. The injuries to your wrist hint at it."

It was said so carelessly. "And I would like a bloody different doctor." Varian's reply came quickly and harshly, he leaned away from the glowing yellow doctor, recognizing the falseness attached to it. "I was mugged."

The Doctor tried to speak again, but Varian held a finger up effectively silencing her with a glare, and once again requesting a new doctor. The woman sighed before leaving, and Varian rolled his shoulder, groaning as he continued to move himself into a seated position. Minutes later a new doctor entered, launching into apologies that Varian waved off. He explained what needed to be done before Varian could leave, as well as informing him that he would be leaving against medical advisement.

Varian did not care.

All his mind could think on was the Downworlders trapped on the ship, and the fact that he had stolen energy that was solely angry from a man that he had grown up despising. It made Varian feel dirty, like he jumped in the mud and couldn't get clean.

The doctor had left in the time that Varian's mind had wandered, returning with a box of supplies and a nurse. He explained that casting the arm was going to hurt, but that it was a necessary evil.

Varian picked blue (an afterthought of the blue hair that Alec had loved).


	43. Chapter 43

The process of leaving the Mundane Hospital was a disappointingly long one, and when Varian finally stumbled through the front door, the sun had risen and set already, the night cold and empty.

It was nearly twenty-four hours since his journey to the ship with Valentine Morgenstern and Jace Wayland, and his magic had not returned. The idea of walking through the streets of New York City with a target on his back and no magic to protect him was terrifying, but there was nothing he could do.

Every step echoed.

New York may be the city that never sleeps, but the people didn't agree, at least most of them. The few that wandered found themselves in bars or working late, Varian was often one of them. His coffee shop and bakery was open late at night most days, and often filled at midnight with half-drunk college students writing papers that were due the next days.

His right hand was stuffed in his pocket, his left crossed his chest and hovered there. Every step rocked it, and the pain was becoming unbearable.

No twist of his fingers brought the magic to the front of his mind. Varian stepped unevenly, hurrying through the streets with light posts but ignoring the ones that were dark and spooky.

Varian took a deep shuddering breath, and for the first time he wished he owned one of those mobile phones that Alec had been going on about. Varian paused in stride, feeling as though someone was watching him.

He refused to turn, a line from a book floating to the front of his mind.

Never turn around to check behind you. You'll see nothing, but once you start doing it you won't be able to stop, and an ominous feeling will follow you until you lock the door behind you.

Varian's steps started again. Soft taps of his toes, he felt an obligation to keep his steps silent. As if the somber of the city would turn angry at the appearance of sound. The same low footsteps sounded from behind him, and Varian picked up his pace, anxiety spiking in his chest.

He had been through enough in the last forty-eight hours and he was not in the mood to be mugged or attacked in such a weak state.

Suddenly the Institute was in his line of sight, and his steps turned furious. Loud thunking of his heels as he sprinted through the park surrounding the cathedral that hid the Institute, the footsteps behind him picked up speed. They were so much faster then him, the throb in his wrist an aching after thought of every single step.

Varian's fist was the first thing to touch the door, slamming harshly as he waited for an invitation inside, the footsteps behind him barely faltering. The absence of his magic to unlock the door had been something he didn't think about.

The door swung open and Varian stumbled in, slamming the door shut behind him with his back. The Shadowhunter that had opened the door looked awfully confused, before offering a hand and helping Varian to his feet.

"Everyone has been looking for you." It could almost be comforting, but the idea of Aldertree hunting the city for him after all of the veiled threats soured the meaning behind it.

Varian just nodded as a reply, acting as if he had not just been chased the last three blocks of his walk over here. He no longer concerned himself with whoever it was, his mind moved on to the shape of Alec Lightwood through the doorways that he could see. The spiky hair of his baba nearly brought a smile to his face, the pain in his arm distracted the smile, but he continued forward his footsteps no longer light.

"Baba." Varian's voice cracked as he spoke, feeling all of the emotions from the pain that he had been feeling and the fear after he had been snatched coming to the surface. Tears began to fall from his eyes, his shoulders shaking as he silently sobbed.

His baba crossed the ops room in just a few steps, wrapping his arms around Varian and holding him close.

"Hell sent I couldn't feel your magic at all, I thought-" His baba's voice broke off halfway through the sentence, his arms squeezing Varian tight.

Varian didn't even care about the pain that it brought his arm to be held so tightly, instead he just leaned into his baba, once again trying to feel the magic that was such a strong part of him. He pulled back, smiling lightly and in a hopefully reassuring way. His right hand swept under his eyes, wiping away the still lingering tears.

"I'm okay." Varian said, watching as his baba drop his hold on him and stepped to the side.

In less than a second Varian was swept up into someone else's arms, a kiss pressed to the top of his forehead just between the two little horns hidden in his hair. "I was so scared when you disappeared through that portal." Another kiss. "Are you alright? Where did you go?"

Varian didn't step far out of Alec's arms, just enough to see the rest of his Shadowhunter friends in the room. "I was taken to a ship, and it was horrible." Varian's voice cracked as he spoke. "Downworlders in cages all around the underbelly, they were screaming, shouting for help. I had barely any energy left from loosing control, so I, I stole some from Valentine, created a portal and had barely enough energy to take me back to the same street. You were-"

"We were gone." Alec's was sad, his grip on Varian tightened in a protective way. "Oh by the angel I'm so sorry."

Varian waved the apology off with a smile, shaking his head as he continued. "I passed out and woke up in a Mundane Hospital, and only after getting my hand wrapped in whatever this is did they let me leave." Varian lifted his left hand as an explanation, and Alec squinted at it. "I think it's why my magic hasn't kicked back in. I apparently broke four bones?"

The unasked question of how from Alec was interrupted by his baba stepping forward and waving a hand over Varian's wrist. A Latin spell falling from his lips as he did. The blue cast disappeared and all pain faded quickly.

Varian smiled in thanks, his eyes moving back to Alec as he answered the question in his eyes. "Valentine was upset that I had the audacity to steal his energy, and in retaliation he stomped on my hand in an attempt to get me to let go of his ankle. I was gone through the portal before the retaliation could go a step further."

Varian flexed his hand, wincing at the lingering pain, but satisfied when his magic started to react. Though it was still weak, he had barely enough energy to create snowfall. "I have to rest, my magic is weak."

Alec nodded, wrapping his arm around Varian shoulder before calling that he would be back. He led the way from the ground, feeling comfort and protection from the arm over his shoulder.

"Thank you Darling." Varian smiled as he spoke, leaning closer to Alec as he did. Wishing that he had the energy to press a kiss to his boyfriends cheek.

The unspoken need to say 'I love you' pushed into his mind as Alec helped him up the stairs, and grew stronger when Alec helped him to lay on the bed. A blanket was thrown over him, and Varian smiled in comfort.

"Sleep tight, I'll just be downstairs if you need anything." Alec's voice was soft as he spoke, a comforting hand pressing against Varian's hair, a kiss followed seconds later.

Varian's reply was mumbled, his eyes already closed as he drifted off to sleep. Everything weighing on him dissipated as he fell into the comforting arms of sleep. "I love you Darling."

Alec paused in stride, his reply coming nearly instantly, but Varian didn't move to acknowledge that he had heard. The sleep had already claimed him.

Alec left with a smile.


	44. Chapter 44

The room wasn't his, the world wasn't his, and his mind didn't belong to him in that moment. His head was filled with screaming Downworlders, begging for his help, Varian tried to reach out to touch the minds or souls of any number of them, but they slipped through his grasp.

A twisting turmoil that Varian couldn't ease, he woke up twisted in the sheets, his mouth open in a way of shock and fear. He couldn't be sure if he was yelling, or if he had yelled, the answer came in the reply of thundering footsteps and the door being practically thrown off its hinges. Varian yelped, his mind telling him he was still in danger.

Varian threw up his hands, a dagger of unspecific magic shot through the air, a barrier formed around Varian blurring the face of the man who had entered the room.

It took three seconds for the barrier to fade and for Alec to reach Varian, a surrounding feeling of calm wrapped around Varian and he melted into it.

"I'm alright Darling." It was more for Varian's comfort than Alec's. Neither moved, finding comfort in the arms of the other. Varian was the one to lean away just slightly. "What happened while I was out."

The sigh that came from Alec alerted Varian that whatever had happened was no good. "Jocelyn made an attempt of Jace's life, Valentine and his followers are taking strong Mundane fighters from all over New York to turn into Shadowhunters, Magnus is downstairs causing a ruckus over C-"

"Baba is here?" Varian ignored the part about him causing a scene in favor of pushing himself to his feet and holding a hand out to Alec.

Alec made a face, looking up and down Varian's form before standing. "Maybe you should-" He motioned down to Varian's rumpled shirt and creased pants. "You can borrow something of mine?"

Varian didn't have the heart to tell Alec that he could easily change his clothes with a wave of his hand when Alec smiled so brightly and turned in an excited way. Varian watched as Alec pulled a black sweater and jeans from his closet, handing them to Varian and mumbling in an embarrassed way that he would leave the room to let him change. Varian ignored him, pulling off his long sleeve shirt as he turned away from Alec, blushing brightly as he did but happy that the blush was a secret.

The fabric of the sweater swallowed Varian, the sleeves long and the hem reaching mid-thigh, it hid the fact that the top of the jeans was to big, and only after cuffing the bottom did Varian feel confident that he wouldn't loose the pants while walking around. He finished by pulling off his shoes, wincing as his wrist clicked in a funny way, the joints would never truly be the same after such a severe injury.

"Tada?" Varian asked, holding his hands out to his sides as he turned. Alec nodded, smiling and blushing as he looked Varian up and down.

"Almost." He muttered, stepping forward and taking each of Varian's hands into his, carefully rolling the sleeves so they would get in the way. "Perfect."

The action was topped off with a small kiss to Varian's lips, and despite the fact that Varian wished it was longer, he found comfort in the action and in the way that Alec led him from the room with an easy hand.

Varian watched his feet as he walked, feeling embarrassed to have spent the night in the Institute. "Did you sleep at all?" The tension that radiated from Alec let Varian know that the answer was 'no.'

"I've been trying to find the boat alongside everyone else, it's not amounting to anything." Alec sighed, his left hand moving to rub at the Parabatai rune on his hip, Varian could feel the anxiety radiating off of Alec and knew he had to do anything to help.

Despite his previous reluctance, and then later on acceptance to performing the Parabatai tracking spell, Varian didn't want to. The amount of pain and the potential chance of weakening the bond that Alec and Jace shared was to much of a worry, and Varian wasn't sure he'd be able to put Alec through that. Already he was thinking through other ways of forming a tracking union with a Downworlder on the ship, or even Jace himself.

Or perhaps a blood tracking with Valentine, despite the fear that pushed into Varian's heart at willingly forming a connection with someone that he had so quickly lost control and was eager to maim in any way just days before.

"Baba." Varian's voice cracked as he spoke, a side effect of the fear and anxious adrenaline that was currently coursing through him at the idea of forming a connection to Valentine.

Magnus Bane turned, and despite the fact that he had seen his son last night he crossed the room in a hurried way, pulling his son from Alec and wrapping his arms around him. "I can feel your magic once again little bird."

It was a reassuring statement, and Varian smiled into his baba's shoulder before pulling away. "I see that Jocelyn is still hear, is she anymore aware?"

Teal blue flashed around his baba, showing his apologetic worry. "I may have accidentally told her about you." Varian stepped back, pulling out of his baba's grip despite the red-blue of pain that flashed through him at the motion. "I'm so sorry Varian I-"

Varian interrupted, "It's alright." It wasn't, that was his secret to say and share, and his baba's accidental betrayal struck a chord. He was not angry, as the action had been accidental, but he felt a pang of sadness at the reveal nonetheless.

Jocelyn Fairchild appeared in his line of sight, though her concentration was more on moving through the main area of the Institute in a hurry rather than actually looking at the Shadowhunters filling the room. Varian felt a pang of fear at her appearance, which quickly faded when she disappeared.

"I have to speak to her." He didn't want to, but he had to. Alec's hand touched Varian's hip from behind, his hand a comforting grip on reality. Varian leaned into the touch.

Alec's voice was just under a whisper, "I'll be there, if you want me."

Varian's response was quick, "Always Darling."


	45. Chapter 45

Alec's energy flashed yellow and bright at Varian's words, his arm wrapping around Varian's shoulder as he led the way after the trailing form of Jocelyn Fairchild.

She was in the greenhouse, and Varian smiled as he looked around. Despite the terror of the impending conversation, Varian found comfort in the flowers and glass ceiling of the building. He promised himself that he would spend time in the greenhouse under better circumstances.

Jocelyn was not alone, Clarissa sat next to her, and Simon Lewis stood a few feet away, the arm of the Werewolf Luke Greymark around his shoulders.

"Jocelyn." Varian's throat was dry as soon as he spoke, and he coughed in a way of clearing it. She looked up, and Clarissa turned. Varian looked anywhere but the two of them, his eyes landed on the Vampire that had been his roommate for the past week.

"Mr. Bane." Jocelyn's voice was firm, and unemotional. "I've been meaning to thank you for waking me up, and to express my condolences at the news of Ragnor Fells death. Your father informed me of the connection that you and him had."

The condolences meant nothing, and the reminder of Ragnor's death was painful. The smile that Varian gives is terribly fake, his hand wrapping tighter around Alec's. "I am glad to reunite you with your family, Clarissa needed a win, in truth most of the Shadowhunters of the Institute did."

Jocelyn stood and started to close the distance between herself and Varian. He stepped back, his back bumping into Alec's chest. The curious look in Jocelyn's eyes alerted Varian to the fact that he was being analyzed, and he did not like it.

"I have been informed by my father that you are at least partially aware of who I am to you and your family." Varian said it like it was a briefing or a conversation with some higher up official, all information, no emotion. He squared his shoulders, and looked Jocelyn in the eyes for the first time. "I do not-"

Jocelyn interrupted him, her voice uncomfortable in Varian's ears as she used his first name. "Varian I-" she paused, noticing the tension but not bothering to correct herself. "I didn't recognize you at first. You've grown so much."

She continued to close the gap between herself and Varian despite the obvious discomfort that Varian felt in the action. Jocelyn stopped less than a foot away, and Varian knew that if not for Alec's hand on his back he would have run from the greenhouse. "Jocelyn-"

Jocelyn continued, ignoring the discomfort. "You can call me mom?" The air around her was yellow-blue, showed how truly honest she was in all of this, how sure she was with her words. It made Varian sick.

"And forget the seventeen years that I was abandoned, no Jocelyn." The anxiety turned into adrenaline, his eyes seemed to glow as the anger took hold. "You have no right to be in my life, and the only reason I am here now is so that Clarissa can know who I am."

Varian stepped to the left, his eyes moving to Clarissa and his face softened. "I am Varian, and I am your brother. Your twin to be more specific." Varian slowly started to walk forward, his hand dropping from Alec's to instead reach out to Clarissa. He would wait for her to take it, and she did a bright smile on her face though curiosity was in the air around her. "I want to get to know you, to be in your life, and I am sorry that we were ever separate."

"I have a twin." Her voice was full of shock and barely above a whisper.

Varian laughed once, "I use to look a bit more like you." As he spoke he left the mirage covering him fall. The color of his hair washed out and turned white, the little horns appearing just barely visible through the mass of hair. "When Ragnor named me his heir, I became a bit more like him, rather than you."

"I have a twin." She muttered it again, and Varian knew that it would take her a long time to wrap her head around the idea. Varian started to step away, but Clarissa's suddenly threw her arms around Varian, pulling him close and pressing her face into his shoulder. "I want to know everything."

Varian pat her back in an almost awkward way, her excitement overwhelming him easily. "Then we'll do coffee or something after everything is over little Red."

Clarissa pulled back, her smile still just as bright. "I'd like that."

Varian nodded, turning back to face Alec, his eyes entirely skipping over Jocelyn. "I have some ideas on how to track down Jace, and I'd like to get started as soon as possible." 

Jocelyn reached out to him, and without meaning to Varian took it as a threat. He lurched out of the range of her grip, his mind alerting himself that he was potentially in danger. His baba, and now newly Alec, were the only ones allowed to touch him without his permission, to much aggression growing up and touches that appeared soft turning to pain. He held his hand up, no magic accompanied the gesture, but her hand did drop.

"You do not get to touch me, you do not get to reach out to me. You are not my mother, and you are nothing to me." Varian knew that he was being much to aggressive, but it was how he truly felt. "Magnus Bane will be our point of contact, as well as Clarissa. I do not want to know you, and I do not want you to know me."

Varian stepped around her, walking past Alec and grabbing his hand as he did. He hurried from the greenhouse, his footsteps painfully loud against the ground, echoing through the hollow building.

He broke down the second he stepped through the double glass doors marking the exit of the building, the tears streamed silently down his face as he turned into Alec, his face digging into the mans chest. Alec's arms like a blanket of protection around Varian as he held him tightly.

"I'm proud of you." Alec punctuated the declaration with a kiss to the top of Varian's head.

It wasn't the right word for the situation, as all that had gone down was heartbreaking and terrible, but that wasn't what Alec was trying to bring to light. He wanted to tell Varian that despite all of the anger that had come from his words he had told Jocelyn the truth no matter the pain that it brought either of them.

Varian found comfort in the declaration, despite its connotation.


	46. Chapter 46

"A connection with Valentine?" Alec's voice was all venom, but it wasn't directed at Varian but rather the idea that he had proposed. "No I won't let you."

Varian's reply was just a small smile, the protective words that Alec spoke were comforting, despite the underlying meaning of Varian needing to ask permission to preform a specific type of magic. In truth, Varian would rather try anything then attach himself to Valentine.

"What have you got on the Mundanes that keep disappearing?" Varian changed tactics, dropping the specific attacking in favor of perhaps grabbing someone on their attempt at snatching a Mundane.

Alec nodded, setting the book that he had been flipping through on the table and grabbing at the computer screen and tapping at it for a moment before displaying the screen to Varian. "Twelve Mundane's in the past few days."

"He's given up on Mundanes' that come for him." Varian mutters, leaning closer and analyzing the faces of each taken. "The process to become a Shadowhunter, to drink from the Mortal Cup is a dangerous one. It basically re-writes every atom in your body, makes you more then you were before."

Varian could feel Alec's lingering gaze on him, all concern and worry, Varian just smiled, an unspoken 'I'm alright.' He looked closer at the screen, nodding in thanks as Alec offered it to him. Varian was quick to set the screen on the table in front of him, the newer technology tends to have a negative reaction around him. "Was there a spike of anything in the locations where they were taken?"

It was a simple question, and he was given the disappointing answer of 'no'.

Varian sighed. "That means portal magic, which I can't do much about save for a ward, but then we'd have to know exactly where." It was an annoyance, but something they'd be capable. "I know of a fight ring that fits the description, I'll head there now and see if I can't do something about all of this."

Varian said it with a sure nod, pushing himself from the desk that he was at and wiggling his fingers in front of him. He set his fingertips together, before pulling them apart a flicker of magic forms an image in between the hands. Varian's sword appears, and he lifts it over his shoulder, it's sheath appearing to hold it on his back.

Alec stands, his stool scraping slightly as he does. He looks at Varian in a curious way, "We can go together."

Varian was slightly railroaded at the response, not use to someone wanting to be around him so much and to join him on little adventures such as this. "Oh, um, yeah of course."

It took him a moment to shake out of the trance that he hovered in, and when he did his face lit up in a smile. With Varian's magic back up to parr, they informed Lydia to the relative location that they were heading in, he formed a portal and they pair of them stepped through.

"Le Petit Feu?" Alec read the name in a curious way, looking up at the cafe with her hands on her hips. "A fight ring at a cafe? You've gotta be kidding me."

Varian snorted, shaking his head as he stepped up to the door and unlocked the door with a wave of his hand. "Bloody hell no, this is my cafe, I need a cup of coffee before we move on, and the fight group meets walking distance from here." It was a long winded explanation that was only finished when Varian reached the counter top and started to flip on the machines necessary to make his mocha.

"Can I offer tea? Coffee? I can do iced, hot, or even hard coffee?" Varian looked up at Alec, smiling at his thinly veiled surprised look, before bending down and grabbing a cup for himself.

It took Alec a minute to say anything as Varian guessed his drink (earl grey tea). "You own a shop?" Alec said it in a small voice, like he was astonished by the very idea.

Varian just smiled and nodded, his concentration turning from looking at Alec to starting to make a tea for him. Footsteps sounded, making their way around the counter top, Alec's hands wrapped around Varian's middle, and he leaned into the touch, smiling as Alec pressed a kiss to the little bit of skin on his shoulder, the part that wasn't covered by the collar of the sweater.

"You're fantastic." Alec muttered, punctuating the declaration with another kiss on his neck. "Absolutely amazing." Varian shivered as Alec continued to kiss him, and though he would love to be showered in kisses, the water started to boil, interrupting the moment between the two.

Alec stepped back, helping Varian whenever he asked, and a few minutes later the smell of freshly brewed coffee and tea filled the cafe. "I've had this shop for a two years, it helped me get through college." Varian felt almost obligated to talk in the silence that fell over the room. "I don't keep normal hours and once a month a group borrows the place for an NA meeting. I join when I can. Mostly Downworlders visit, and Mundanes with the sight. Drunk college students and such."

Varian handed Alec his cup, before making his way into an arm chair by the window. The Shadowhunter followed, and Izzy was the first to speak. "What is NA?"

Varian shook his head, finding that he constantly had to remind himself that the man he had fallen for had not been raised around Mundanes. "Narcotics Anonymous. For Mundanes that have struggled with drugs and alcohol and have moved past their addiction."

Varian noticed the tension in Alec almost instantly when he shared the fact that he attends the meetings when he can. It was a conversation he had yet to have and one that he didn't feel would change their relationship to share. It took Alec a long time before he asked Varian why he attended when he could, and Varian's reply came after a lot of internal deliberation.

"You remember my reaction to Camille Belcourt." Alec's reply came in the form of a nod, "When I was fifteen, she showed back up in my baba's life and in New York, though she did not care for my baba anymore." Varian sighed, shrugging his shoulders as he spoke, he had moved past the situation internally. "Camille introduced me to Yin-Fen, and fed my addiction indirectly through another Vampire. It took me eight months to get clean, and in that time I almost died multiple times."

Alec's hand wrapped around Varian's, pure sadness pouring through the connection. "That's why you reacted the way you did." It wasn't phrased a question, but rather a statement.

Varian hummed in acknowledgement. "She had an obsession with my baba, and that obsession transferred to me when she met me the first time." He sighed, forcing a smile to his face as he took a sip from his cup. "I attend the meetings, they hold me accountable, though they believe I'm addicted to a Mundane drug rather than a Downworlder one."

There was an awful pause in the conversation, and for a moment Varian worried that it had all been to much of a shock. That though changed quickly when Alec set his mug down and moved closer, pulling Varian closer to him. "I love you." Varian wasn't expecting the words, but muttered them back just as quickly.

"I love you Darling."


	47. Chapter 47

It would be irrational for Varian to not notice the obvious tension in Alec after he shared the fact that he had struggled with Yin-Fen.

For Shadowhunters to admit any form of weakness is unknown, and as Alec had yet to be fully exposed to any lifestyle outside of Shadowhunting and the customs, the admittance of the weakness was something that made Alec slightly uncomfortable. Though he would never admit it to his new found boyfriend, not that Varian had to be told, the golden-grey hue surrounding him was a tell that he was uncomfortable.

Varian smiled at his boyfriend, offering his hand to him and pulling ever so slightly towards the front of the coffee shop. Alec didn't need much prompting to get walking and with a wave of Varian's lilac hand the lights turned off and the door shut behind him, locking with a loud click.

The streets were strangely quiet for it only be just after four in the afternoon, not that Varian minded. The silence was welcomed with open arms in his books as it meant that they would not be stopped on their way.

"Right, it's round the corner from here Darling," Varian muttered, nudging Alec's shoulder slightly in a way of telling him to turn left. He lifted his fist, the thunking echoed slightly, and just as a lock sounded on the other side of the door Alec dropped Varian's hand.

He didn't have time to question why because of the door opening in front of them, but some minuscule part of Varian felt hurt by Alec's quick reaction, but he was much to distracted by the look the man on the other side of the door was giving him.

The man was large, and by the green hue decorating the air he was sure that Varian couldn't handle himself in any form of fight. He started to open his mouth to say something, but Varian waved his hand, a hollow look appearing in the large mans eyes as he opened the door just a bit more in a trance like way.

"Come on then." Varian muttered, not daring to reach for Alec's hand for fear of rejection. He took the lead, his footsteps quiet on the dirt floor as he approached the ring. "Best fighters in the city come here," Varian lurched just a bit, before correcting himself, "so I've heard."

He could see Alec nod out of the corner of his eyes. "It's only a matter of time before Valentine hits this place."

There was a man in the ring, his arms out to the side as if presenting himself, challenging every person in the room to even attempt to fight him. Varian smiled, his shoulders popping as he rolled them.

Varian stepped into the ring.

"You are puny." He had an accent that Varian couldn't place. "And tiny."

He shrugged, "And you are large." Varian could feel Alec tense up on the other side of the ring, as if he were worried about Varian taking on someone nearly three times his size. Varian was not worried a bit. "Come on then."

The man, Varian affectionately decided to call him Chunk, lifted his hands. His feet to spaced out, and his chest to exposed to be helpful. Varian followed suit, lifting his hands and twisting his feet at the ankles to ground himself. 

Chunk through the first punch, putting his entire upper body into the movement, Varian side stepped him, lifting his left elbow up and bringing it down on the inside of the man's elbow. It popped but did not break, Chunk winced loudly, spinning and making a grab at Varian.

He was able to avoid Chunk's left hand, but not his right. The meaty fist wrapped around Varian's upper arm, squeezing in a way that could have been painful. Varian tensed up spinning quickly and planting both feet into the mans stomach. He used it as an almost springboard, extending his legs and pushing off, Chunk grunted, stumbling backwards and Varian soared through the air.

Varian avoided the jolt of hitting the ground by rolling through it, swiping his left leg out and catching both of Chunk's legs in the hook of his ankle. Because of the sheer size of the man he was unprepared for the hit to the ground. Varian lurched across the space between the two, one knee landing on the mans chest as he socked him in the jaw, once, twice, three times.

Varian was not naive enough to think he had won, which is why when Chunk threw a fist and caught the side of Varian's head he was nearly ready for it. He still his the ground hard enough, but in an easy movement he grabbed Chunk by his thick meaty neck and held him in a choke hold. Applying just enough pressure for the man to be woozy, but not enough to injure him to much.

A double tap on Varian's left elbow let him know that Chunk had given up, he released the hold, standing to full height and nodding in thanks to the congrats he had received.

Alec had been worried, that much was apparent by the way his knuckles were white by his side and the quickly shared smile between the two. Varian walked towards him, smiling in an almost flirtatious way as he walk closer.

"Were you worried about me Darling?" Varian asked, standing on his toes to press a kiss to Alec's lips. While the men of the fight ring were distracted by the affection shared between the two, Varian waved his hand, all of them suddenly realizing that they had somewhere to be, the place began to clear out.

Alec looked obviously impressed as the men started to leave, he leaned down to kiss Varian once again, before leaning back and watching as they went.

Varian took that as a chance to work on wards. The annoyance of there having not been a spike in energy at every place where a mundane had been taken had already told him that it was portal magic, not anything else. His mouth moved to form Latin words, a pulse passing over the 'gym' as anti-ward magic was spread.

The specific magic that Varian was using allowed whoever it was to portal in, but the moment their feet touched solid ground they would not be able to leave through the same portal.

"And we wait?" Varian asked Alec, a smile on his face as his boyfriend looked at him in a way that let Varian know how in love he was.

Alec sighed, nodding his head before stating in an almost annoyed way. "And we wait."


	48. Chapter 48

It was a disappointingly long time to wait.

Varian had already searched the entire place to make sure that all of the Mundane's had left as well as double check his wards, and other than that there had not been anything to interest himself. For sake of sanity, he kept a few feet of distance between himself and Alec, despite every part of him that wanted a kiss or a touch from the Shadowhunter.

A crackle of lightning from outside of the gym made Varian painfully aware of where he was in this time and space. Thunder made him panicky, and lightning was always worrying, but even just being in the same room as Alec was a calming action. Varian's hands started to move on their own accord by his side, spelling out the words he hoped to say but found himself so strangely unable to say.

"Varian I-" Alec was interrupted by another boom of thunder, and Varian visibly flinched, a ripple of lilac pulsing through the room. Varian looked up blushing pink in embarrassment for his unconscious actions. Alec just smiled in an encouraging way, closing the distance between him and the Warlock in just a few steps. "Breathe Varian, it's alright."

A comforting hand was placed on Varian's cheek, and he leaned into the touch, his eyes falling shut as the world faded away. Light blue calmness pushing through the skin to skin contact, he smiled his mouth opening to say something, the unspoken words interrupted by a crack of thunder and the sudden appearance of a portal.

Varian stumbled out of Alec's touch, lifting a hand, ready to act should he need to. Alec stepped by his side, his bow in hand and an arrow notched steadily, drawn and ready to fire on Valentine's man.

He couldn't be but a few years old then Varian, and that is what threw him off kilter, so when the boy threw everything into attacking the pair of them Varian could not find himself attacking back.

Alec shot an arrow before the boy could get within feet of them, the arrow found its mark in the boys shoulder but did not cause the boys attack to falter in anyway. Varian side stepped the swing of his sword, a hand lifting in an easy way but not finding himself able to cast any form of spell. Alec grabbed Varian by the shoulders, pulling him out of the line of danger and grabbing his sword and pulling it from its sheath.

Varian was entirely unbothered by the action, knowing for a sure fact that Alec would benefit better from the sword in this moment rather than Varian. He took a deep breath, ignoring the way that the boy fought like he was in pain, Varian's only focus on Alec and every powerful arc of his sword.

In a moment of sheer dumb luck the boy caught Alec in the side, his blade making a sickening sound as it entered the muscled flesh of his stomach. The injury prompted Varian's response, and in an attempt at keeping his cool, Varian lifted a hand and clenched his fist. His magic acted accordingly, wrapping itself around Valentine's man and throwing him across the room, his sword fell from his hand.

It was a difficult thing for Varian to walk away from Alec while he was injured, but his concentration rested solely on Valentine's man, and the information that he could potentially provide.

When Varian spoke it was in a flat and calm voice, "Where is Valentine?" The boy shook his head, forcing himself against the magical bonds, grunting with effort. "Tell me where he is."

Varian would not loose his temper, he stepped closer to the man, repeating his question with a sigh. His hold loosened accidentally as he fed magic to Alec without looking at him, green entwining with the lilac in a beautiful dance.

Alec was by his side seconds later, a hand still pressed to the healing wound in his side, oh how they must have looked to the Mundane turned Shadowhunter laying on the floor in front of them. Alec's dark hair a wild mess as green blew through his hair and clothes, slowly giving him the ability to stand to fill height. Varian was most likely the first Warlock that he had seen, that much was nearly obvious by the wide curious eyes that followed the lilac and green as it flew through the air.

"Tell me where Valentine is, and I'll set you free." It was true in more ways then one.

Valentine's man considered it, before pushing one more time at the unseen bonds surrounding him, Varian let them fall away, hoping that it would prompt the man to be a little more vocal.

The action caused the exact opposite, it took seconds for the man to pull a knife from his waist, dragging it across his throat in a swift motion that caused a horrible squelching sound to follow. Alec shouted in protest, reaching for the man as if he could stop it from happening.

He was dead, and Varian was already blaming himself.

"Merde." Varian muttered, slamming the palm of his hand into the side of his head, the dull thunk comforting in this moment of intense frustration. Forgetting that he wasn't alone, Varian did it again, and again, dropping to the ground as he let his magic run wild across the body of Valentine's fallen soldier. The pounding of his fist against his temple stopped on the fifth time, moving instead to tap aggressively against his knee, he found himself muttering the word over and over again. "Merde, merde, merde."

He trailed off, a hand smoothed against his hair, the other gripping tightly around the offending appendage, stilling the beat against his leg. Varian found himself unable to concentrate on the connection that Alec was trying to form, his magic had stilled in its wandering over the fallen soldiers body, something flickered from within his coat. Varian reached out, flicking the coat open in a quick action, and pulling the paper from the pocket. 

It was not much, just a chicken-scratch of words on a paper much to small to fit all of the words necessary. A sound of excitement from the man above Varian alerted him to the fact that it was most likely Jace's awful handwriting.

Varian stood, Alec's hands falling from his hair as he did, Varian tried to smile to let him know everything was okay but he was much to distracted by the body of the Mundane that he had a hand in killing however indirectly.

His mind would not silence as he waved his hand for a portal, smiling unconscionably as Alec kissed his cheek while passing by. Alec stepped in, and the portal shudder closed behind him, leaving Varian alone with the Mundane, he muttered an apology to the body, a Latin phrase tumbling forward, the boy became dust, stars to decorate the sky.

Varian stepped out into the cold of the rain, the thundering fallen on numb ears, his clothes plastering to his dry skin. He could not breath through it as he usually would, one shuddering sob pushed through his lips it was all that he would allow himself to feel. The boy was no older than him, and yet he found himself so entranced by the words of Valentine.

Varian would not let his father hurt anyone else.


	49. Chapter 49

Alec Lightwood landed in the Institute with an encouraging smile on his face, Izzy found joy in the look. Comfort in the words of his brother written in chicken-scrawl on the much to small paper, Alec turned to hug Varian in his excitement, only to find the space behind him disappointingly empty of the smaller man.

"Alec!" Izzy's voice was full of smiles, just barely a hint of worry in it. "You're back so soon? Did someone come for the fighters?"

"Yeah, yeah." Alec answered in a distracted way, the papers crinkling in hand as he tried to put together where Varian was. "Well, no. The soldier slit his own throat before Varian or I could get anything from him, but, he had this on him."

The paper became transparent as it was held up in the light, Izzy snatched it quickly, her eyes trailing across the paper more times then necessary. When she looked up tears decorated the corners of her eyes, a sad smile on her lips.

"He's okay." Izzy barked out a laugh, throwing her arms around her brothers neck in a moment of pure unfiltered happiness. "He's okay! Oh by the Angel."

Alec felt the happiness, he truly did, and if Varian were here he would tell him that he was bright yellow in color. But the emotion was dulled by a feeling of veiled betrayal, he couldn't be sure why Varian hadn't followed him through the portal, but no matter what the action did not comfort him in any way.

Alec lifted his hands up, carefully pulling his sisters arms away from their place around his neck. "But we are no closer to finding him, Aldertree's strategy isn't working." It was spoken in frustration, and in a veiled attempt to distract himself from Varian's missing energy. The feeling of the Institute without Varian's constant magic was different, and he quickly found himself despising it. "The Circle members all took the same oath. They're gonna keep slitting their throats before they tell us anything."

Izzy couldn't be sure why her brother felt so angry, this note was a win, and yet the anger rolled off of him in spades. "Do you have any other ideas?" Izzy responded with anger accidentally, but her brother did not catch the emotion, instead, throwing his hands into the air as he continued towards the screens that made up the ops room.

"Put in a request for a maritime mission." Alec tapped away at the screens, and to anyone else it looked as though he were doing some sort of research or filing a report. In reality, despite the fact that he felt he was betraying Varian by doing so, he started to look for Varian's distinct magic signature through the city.

Izzy frowned, her hand bringing the small sheet of paper closer to her chest as she looked Alec up and down. The sight of his black clothing tinged slightly red had her charging forward, pressing a hand to his side, and not missing the way that he did not wince at the touch.

"It was just a flesh wound." Alec muttered, shaking off her hand. "Varian already took care of it."

Izzy noticed the way he so specifically avoided looking at her, tapping at the screen as though it had pissed him off. "The ship is glamoured, it won't show up on sonar." Izzy muttered dejectedly, responding to what he had said earlier.

Alec's hands barely stilled on the screen. "Well it can't hide from us if we run right into it." Alec hoped it wasn't obvious that he wasn't looking for Valentine, but at the same time even if Izzy noticed what it was that he was doing, she wouldn't say a thing.

"We should look at the aerial drones?" Izzy offered, wanting to reach out to her brother and help him in any way that he would accept.

"I've already done that." Alec muttered the half truth without much considering that it was half a lie. He had used them to glance at the area surrounding the fight club building, rather than look for the ship, but like Izzy had already said it wouldn't show up on the imagery because of the cloak covering it.

Silence stretched on between the two of them, and Izzy hated every second of it, but couldn't find the words to break the silence. An hour passed with them staring at bright screens, Izzy took a place by his side, using her vague knowledge of the ocean and its currents to at least plan a small path that they could have potentially followed. She knew that her brothers focus was split between who she could only assume was Varian and the other Jace.

Alec slammed his fists on the table in frustration, the few night watch Shadowhunters barely startled at the sound. Izzy jumped, turning to her brother and throwing her hands over his, to stop the action from potentially repeating.

"Alec you have to talk to me, this is, this is more than just worry for Jace, we know that Jace is alright." Izzy mumbled, her voice just loud enough for him to hear but no one else. The news that Jace Wayland had had contact with the two Lightwood siblings was something that not everyone would be happy about. "What happened?"

Alec took a deep breath, his shoulders lifting from the action, the words tumbled through his lips, "Varian opened the portal for me, and I kissed his cheek before I stepped through, but he didn't follow me."

Izzy smiled in a way that would have been comforting to anyone else. "He probably just had to stop by his apartment, or maybe talk to Magnus."

"He would have told me!" Alec's voice was accidentally harsh, he mumbled the words again. "He would have told me."

This was, after all, Varian Bane, the one who became a full Warlock and showed up to his wedding in the same day. The Warlock that kissed him in front of a room of Shadowhunters before almost immediately passing out. The boy that Alec had given his heart to practically instantly, looking at the powerful man that healed a Werewolf without any prompting other than a need and want to help.

"Before we left, he said that he could form a connection with Valentine. He said that he would rather try anything else, but that was before a Circle member slit his throat rather than speak to him." Alec sighed, pulling his right hand from under Izzy's and carding it through his hair. "I don't know where he is, and I'm worried."

Izzy's hand was soft on his arm, and without any other prompting he turned into her, his head coming to rest on her shoulder and his arms loose around her waist.

"I'll call Magnus." Izzy offered. Alec nodded into her shoulder, and Izzy's hand rested on his head with the smallest hint of a smile.


	50. Chapter 50

Magnus Bane had spent the past day with the fledgling Simon Lewis and all that had come from it was a stronger respect for his son for sharing an apartment with the boy, and a small box that couldn't be opened with magic.

Because of Simon's near stupidity, and only knowing Magnus well enough to ask him for help, he and Simon set off for India to find Camille Belcourt in the early morning. A Vampire that Magnus hoped to never see again, but now that he had the chance to find her he would take the boy up on it.

Camille had nearly tore his family apart, she had succeeded for a long time in terrorizing Varian, and the idea of being able to find her and hand her over to the Clave was one that he had jumped on. At the beginning of the day, he had already decided that Camille Belcourt would not be given the power to torment his son anymore.

But now that he was sitting in his apartment on the Upper Side of Manhattan, without having turned in Camille Belcourt to the Clave, he was significantly disappointed in himself and in Simon Lewis.

"Listen Antiques Roadshow, you got all your stuff back, but Raphael still wants to kill me, and Camille is nowhere to be found." Simon's voice was comically panicked, and Magnus just looked him up and down, and amused smile on his face as he mixed himself a drink.

"We don't have her, but we do have that." Magnus motioned at it was an off handed gesture to the little wooden box now sitting on the coffee table between the two of them. "Maybe you can use what's inside of it to lure her back. If you can get it open."

Simon nodded, almost too aggressively, before grabbing at the box and smashing at it with his hand. Magnus groaned at the offending noise. "How?"

"Wish I knew." Magnus muttered, draping himself across the love seat."Whatever is in it is important, and it has wards keeping Warlocks out."

Simon looked up at him in a fury, "You know what else is important?" His voice rose to levels of near hysteria. "The parts Raphael wants to burn off of me if I don't find Camille."

Magnus sighed, wishing more than anything that he had Varian's powers to calm someone, the boys voice was giving him a headache at the moment. "We'll figure it out Simon." It was spoken in a reassuring voice, with an added smile.

"We?" Simon asked, his hands stilling on the box, as he lifted it up to his mouth to bite at.

Magnus looked off in a daze. "When I was a boy, discovering my powers, I had no one." Simon looked sad, at Magnus' words. "I had to figure out the Downworld all on my own. It was awful. So I vowed to myself that if I ever found someone in a situation similar to that, I'd try and make sure they didn't have to go at it alone."

Simon smiled brightly, "So like my sponsor?" Magnus bobbed his head from side to side in a way of saying 'kind of.' "Thanks, but I've kinda already got Varian."

Magnus smiled at the mention of his son. "Well now you have the entire Bane family for help."

He started to say something else, a small but bright smile on his face, but the words were interrupted by a strong and strange feeling at his chest. Thunder crashed outside his balcony, startling Simon at its sudden appearance, if Magnus could think past the clenching at his heart he probably would have laughed.

A phone ringing startles him, and he struggles to pull the phone from his front pocket. Answering it in a quick way that nearly has him dropping the phone. "Magnus Bane High Warlock of Brooklyn to whom am I speaking to?" His usual mantra sounded strange on his tongue with the odd feeling in his heart.

"Magnus? It's Izzy, have you heard from Varian?" 

And suddenly the strange feeling made just the smallest amount of sense, his son needed him. "No, what's happened?"

"He and Alec were on a mission and after he made a portal for Alec to get back to the Institute but didn't follow him through." Izzy sounded worried, and the more she spoke the more that Magnus felt like panicking. "We've been trying to find him on the scanners but there's no sign of him. Alec's panicking, and to be honest I am too..."

Izzy trailed off, and Magnus nodded despite the fact that she couldn't see. "I'll come to you, update me when I get there. Keep looking for Jace and Valentine, he's probably heading to them."

Every part of him wanted to curse his sons name as he hurried to leave, but he bit his tongue, holding back the string of words as he explained to Simon Lewis that he was leaving. He waved his hand and a portal appeared, the Warlock stepping through as he wrung his hands with worry in front of him.

The portal dropped him a block away from the Institute, he had yet to master his sons ability for portaling directly inside, the wards of the Institute nearly to powerful.

Varian's magic was strong, stronger than most, even when he was just a Secondhand Warlock he soared above all others in his magic. But now that he had gained the powers (and looks) of Ragnor Fell he was quite easily one of the most powerful to ever walk the Earth, and that idea worried Magnus. Not that he was jealous, no, rather he was proud, constantly proud. What worried him about all of this was the fact that it made him more of a target, for Valentine who didn't know of his own sons existence, and for some parts of the Clave who constantly wanted the power of the Downworlders at their command.

Varian would not become another one of their pawns, Magnus would make sure of that. He would do anything to protect his son.

Anything.


	51. Chapter 51

Alec felt only slightly comforted when Magnus Bane walked in.

In the time that it had taken for the Warlock to arrive, both Izzy and him had been approached by Jocelyn Fairchild about a way for tracking down Jace, and despite the fact that Alec said yes he was adamant to wait.

The Adamis stone was pure, and cool to the touch in Alec's palm. He looked down at it with nearly astonished eyes, knowing for a sure fact that if Varian was here he'd be trying to pick away at it to turn it into something else. The young warlock had an odd interest in small stones and glass things. It was something that made Alec smile at the thought, despite the weight in his chest at the thought of the still missing Warlock.

"I've got a trace on his magic." Alec muttered to Magnus as he appeared at his side, motioning to the corner of the screen that was barely larger than an index card. "It hasn't found anything yet-"

Magnus squinted as he stepped forward, interrupting without meaning to. "It probably won't, he can disappear when he wants to." He smiled brightly, "There was this time when he was eight, we went to Paris for a month-long trip and he was gone for the first week. I found him in a library, he'd been living off of scones and sandwich's for the past week absolutely entranced by all of the old books and relics. He didn't want to leave."

The story put a smile on everyone's faces, despite the implications that informed the fact that Varian wouldn't be found unless he wanted to be.

"Then maybe we should move on."

Jocelyn's voice was harsh, and the anger that flared through Magnus almost made him snap. He held it back, ignoring the way that Varian's birth mother was so ready to move on from the search for Varian, though it almost made sense. She had so willingly given him up when he was just a few weeks old, the idea of having any other emotion towards the young Warlock other than indifference must have been foreign to her.

"Parabatai bonds are like tethers of the soul." She grabbed at the Adamis stone in Alec's hand, before muttering that they should probably move to a more comfortable place. Alec glanced at the Warlock beside him, almost ignoring Jocelyn Fairchild as she tapped her toe in annoyance.

"I'll keep an eye on the scanner." Magnus mutters, looking back at the screen as he felt the boy leave from beside him.

Alec felt entirely awful as he left Magnus Bane in the ops room of the Institute, Jocelyn followed behind and Izzy behind her. Some part of Alec felt strange as he led the way up to his room, like he shouldn't bring this unwanted mother into the room that he had shared with Varian for the past few nights. The feeling was pushed away as he opened the door, doing as Jocelyn commanded and laying on the one side of the bed.

The stone was laid flat in his hand, and with a slight frown Alec avoided looking at either women and listened to the voice of Jocelyn Fairchild.

"There are some risks involved." Jocelyn starts, before continuing, "The parabatai that initiates the contact, it can be taxing on his body, on his mind."

Alec could feel the tension immediately flair up in Izzy, and he spoke only to ease her mind. "Izzy, its fine."

Jocelyn smiled, proud of the way that Alec was so ready to do this. "I-"

"Wait." Alec interrupted, sitting up on his elbows as he fixed a glare on the woman. "What's your interest in me tracking Jace? You aren't going to try and hurt him." It was a statement, a threatening undertone under the words.

Jocelyn sighed, "Dorothea took my daughter to Valentine, I just want her back. I won't harm Jace." The look that both Lightwood siblings fixed on her made her speak despite her wish not to. "I promise."

It took Alec a moment to look away, and when he did it was with a nod as he resettled on his back.

"Right." She muttered, clearing her throat to speak just a little bit louder. "According to Luke, you need to stay near the surface. If you do to deep, nothing can bring you back."

Izzy slapped at her brothers shoulder, ignoring his snort and chuckle at the action. "If you go to deep, by the Angel Alec, I will kicked your ass when you get back."

Alec smiled in a way that was surprisingly soft and reserved for Varian mostly. The curve of his lips ever so slight as his blue eyes sparkled with an emotion Izzy did not catch. "I'll be alright." He hoped that it was true, before closing his eyes and resting his head on the pillow under it.

Jocelyn began muttering, Latin Izzy assume, her eyes locked on her brother as his forehead started to crevice. He relaxed suddenly, the hand gripped around the stone loosening, but the stone didn't shift. It seemed glued to his palm, and radiated a slight blue-black glow that Izzy was sure meant that it was working.

They sat there for half an hour before anything started to happen, and though Izzy wasn't sure what to look out for, she was sure that what was happening was not a good sign. Alec started to have an almost fit, sweat pooling on his forehead almost instantaneously, as he twitched in his sleep-like state.

Izzy's eyes flashed up to Jocelyn Fairchild, watching as her brow furrowed and the Latin stilled on her tongue. She swallowed thickly, looking concerned as she avoided Izzy's gaze.

"What's going on?" Izzy sounded near panicked as she spoke, hating how feverish her brother had gotten in just a few minutes of being under the spell of the Adamis stone.

The reply came almost instantaneously, and was entirely unhelpful. "I'm not sure."

"Jace!" Alec shouted, his voice echoing off of the walls of the room in a jarring way. Izzy flinched away from her brother without meaning to, covering her ears in an attempt to smother the sound if he were to do it again.

He stilled on the bed, but didn't wake,

An ominous feeling passed over the room, and Izzy knew he had gone to far without having to be told.

"Damn you Alec." She muttered, pressing a hand into her eyes to suppress the tears she felt rising.

Crying wouldn't do anyone any good.


	52. Chapter 52

Varian was, naturally, entirely unaware of everything going on with both his father and his boyfriend. His attention focused solely on the fact that it was raining, and he had no idea where he was going.

His sword had transformed into its miraged form of an umbrella without Varian using magic, and it was held above his head in his steady right hand, the left patting rhythmically on his thigh.

He'd been wandering for the past few hours, following an unseen trail left by those that worked with Valentine. There was a feeling in the air that Varian was entirely unable to place, as though everyone in New York had suddenly decided to hold their breath, despite the improbability of it.

Varian's shoulders rolled slightly, he'd taken a seat on a bench just beside the water way, his eyes scanning across the water in an attempt to notice anything even vaguely strange about the way the water moved. A ship as large as the freighter would leave some form of wake, despite however many Warlocks that Valentine had enslaved to keep the ship hidden, it was entirely impossible for something as large as that to disappear entirely in any setting.

He was barefooted, despite the fact that the rain and the pavement made his feet cold, he sat with them flat on the ground, little bursts of magic shot into the ground at even intervals. Varian was waiting for a sign, or more specifically the feeling of any of Valentine's men setting foot on land.

Then suddenly it was there, just on the edge of his magic, a small flicker of Valentine's new Shadowhunters.

Or more specifically, Valentine himself.

The barrier around his ship had faded, only slightly, but enough for Varian to catch hold of its location, his shoes forgotten by the bench as he stood and started towards the water.

Varian cannot swim.

The idea of having to cross the expanse of the river was one that entirely terrified him, an accident when he was a child was something that threw him for a loop any time he was near water.

Varian stepped off of the pier, his magic holding him just above the top of the water. With confidence that he did not realize he possessed, Varian took off running, one foot in front of the other as he kept his eyes trained on the ship.

He had three goals, the first was of course to get Jace off the ship. The second was to get every Downworlder and Mundane off in a timely manor, and the third was to get rid of the ship itself. Each was undoubtedly going to be a strain on his magic, but he had already solved that specific issue.

Despite Alec's near command of not forming a link with Valentine, Varian had already made the decision and prepared himself for what was to come.

Valentine's soul was an icky gross mess that mixed with Varian's in a threatening smog, but he was much stronger than the smog. In an almost cliche way Varian's soul was more like flowers and butterflies, the opposite of the father that he had never wanted, but much closer to his baba's (whose own soul was foxes, despite every statement he made to the opposite).

Varian almost crashed into the ship before catching himself seconds before. The buzz of the ward was not as strong as he would have thought, given his inference at how many Warlocks he thought were holding it up. A press of his hand to the ward, and a small pulse of lilac was all that it took to cause it to shiver, shake, before fading in such a way that Varian could slip in.

He took a deep breath as his magic brought him up the side of the ship, his hand catching a hold on the bottom rail. Varian let his magic fade as he held on, pulling himself to see through the rails, before clamoring over the top and coming to rest on his toes on the other side.

Varian was a ghost as he wove through the ship, coming within touching range of people and yet their eyes glanced over him unseen. It was an accidental talent that Varian took full advantage of whenever he needed it, whether it was through his magic that the talent came from or through the Empath part of Varian it was very useful in nearly any situation.

He made his way to the belly of the ship, pausing many times as he felt the terror and tears of every trapped Downworlder, the feeling of them overwhelming. The vague memories of his last time on the ship were addled by the pain that he was going through in the moment, and so as he finally settled on the floor of the belly, the look of it all was entirely shocking.

Cages covering every wall, dozens of Downworlders in each, Vampires, Werewolves, and a dash of Warlocks. The room was dark, gloomy, as if reflecting the mood of the terrified Downworlders in their cages.

Varian continued forward, muttering a few spells to ease those in pain as best he could. He promised to himself that he would not leave without them, his eyes scanning the room as he looked for Jace. The blonde mop of hair flashing just at the edge of his vision, he started towards where he had seen the Shadowhunter, his steps light on the ground, cautious to not make any sound.

"Varian Bane." A harsh whisper came from the cage nearest to Varian, and he paused, turning slightly despite the fact that he was sure whoever it wasn't couldn't see him.

It was Dorothea, or rather Dot. Varian was not well acquainted with the female Warlock, but his baba was, and for that reason he started to approach the cage.

She looked at him in an unseeing way, her eyes glazing over him, and with a sudden realization, he noticed she had not seen him but rather felt his magic. Varian reached through the cage, pressing a hand to the exposed skin on her shoulder, accidentally startling her before she visibly relaxed into the touch.

"Varian." Her voice was softer, but still scratched as it left her throat. "What are you doing here?" She was obviously terrified, the black-grey color surrounding her displaying the emotion for Varian's eyes alone.

"I'm here to help." Varian's voice was just barely above a whisper, low enough that it could be mistaken for a brush of the wind or a statement of pain from any of the Downworlders in the room. "I've got to get Jace Wayland out of here first, but then it's you and every other Downworlder trapped on the ship. I will not leave you."

Such confidence shocked Dorothea, but she nodded, a smile cracking her dry lips, she looked absolutely horrid, but Varian did not comment. Instead, he reached further, lifting his hand from her shoulder to the side of her face, a small pulse of emerald green healing magic passed through the bond. The exhaustion faded from Dorothea's eyes and she sighed.

"Thank you Varian Bane." Her voice was not as harsh as it had been before, and Varian smiled as a comfort, feeling awful as he left the Warlock in her cage to follow after Jace.

Despite every wish that he had to let them free now, he knew that waiting was the better option. To free the Downworlders first would alert Valentine to an unwanted presence on the ship, and potentially send him running with Jace in tow. It was best to wait, and as Varian weaved his way through the cages he let himself push their terror away, following only on the blonde hair just on the edge of grasp.

Jace looked absolutely awful when Varian finally caught up, his eye black and blue and his hands hung from a chain above him. He was shirtless, bleeding awfully from injuries to his chest and stomach.

Varian reached for him, his fingers brushing lightly as he unhooked him. Jace fell to his knees, the shock of hitting the ground waking him, he looked up in a panic trying to find whatever the threatening force was.

"Jace it's me, it's Varian love." His voice was soft as he carded a hand through Jace's hair in a comforting way, brushing the strands off of his damp forehead. "I'm going to get you out of here."

Jace looked astonished, and grateful as Varian helped him to his feet. "Is Alec here?" His words slurred and rasped out. Varian winced in a sympathetic way, forcing his emerald magic to heal the Shadowhunter at a faster pace.

"No, he doesn't even know I'm here." Varian sounded slightly strained, the effort of holding the fit Shadowhunter in a standing position while healing him was already taking a toll. "I'm going to portal you to shore, I'll tuck you away until you're ready to move, but I've got to come back here to let everyone else-"

"Don't forget Clary."

Usually Varian would not hesitate to chastise someone for the interruption, but this was welcomed. "Clary is here?" A nod from the Shadowhunter was not a comfort. "I'll be sure to get her as well, but you're priority."

Jace only grunted as a response.


	53. Chapter 53

Varian created the portal with a subtle wave of his hand, nearly cursing himself at how loud the action was. The hope that the belly of the ship was louder than the portal was strong as he practically drug Jace through, some part of him wanting to repay the favor from the last time Jace had thrown him through the portal, but he pushed it away.

The rain started beating down on both Shadowhunter and Warlock as soon as they landed on the other side, and with an ever so slight wave of his hand the rain avoided them as if there was an umbrella above their heads.

"Right, here we are." Varian muttered, pulling Jace through the gravel of the dock, smiling as the Jade Wolf came into sight. He whistled, proud of the echo that went through the parking lot, seconds later a few people came running out of the restaurant. "Luke!"

"Varian?" The man's voice was just barely over the sound of the rain, he crossed the parking lot in just a few steps, a confused look in his eyes as he looked down at the half-dressed-nearly-passed-out-from-pain Jace Wayland.

The young Warlock rolled his eyes, "Right, you standing there watching, or will you give me a hand?"

Luke looked rather flustered, "Shit, yeah." He knelt down for a moment, easily picking up the Shadowhunter and looking down at him in a concerned way. "What happened?"

Varian waved a hand above his head, making the barrier protecting him from the rain extend over Luke as he held Jace. "Valentine did." Luke looked appreciative as the rain stopped beating down on him, he motioned haphazardly at the door of the restaurant with Jace's feet.

"Let's get out of the cold, I'll get the Lightwoods out here and they can get you two back to the-"

"I've got to go back Luke." Varian interrupted, before immediately muttering an apology. "Clary is still there, and hundreds of Downworlders, they need my help."

Luke looked angry, and for just a moment Varian wondered what he had done to upset the man. "Let me put Jace down then, and I'll join you, you shouldn't do it alone."

"And you wouldn't be able to keep up." Varian's reply was not meant to be a slight but it came across as one. "Just get Jace to the Institute, and I'll be along shortly, I promise I'll be alright."

The Werewolf looked disappointed, but nodded nonetheless. The goodbye's were rushed out, and Varian turned back to the water. The same way was used to cross the ocean, the fear of portaling in and getting caught more of a concern now that Jace was no longer on the ship.

Clary was an easy find, her red hair distinct as well as the blood connection between the pair of them, Varian found her in a matter of minutes. She was alone in a cell kept separately from the belly of the ship, and with a wave of his hand the door clicked open.

"Hello love," Varian said it with a smile, pulling himself from the invisible shield that he had been in. Her face lit up in the brightest and most encouraging way as she threw her arms around the young Warlock.

"Varian!" Her voice was luckily quiet, and as soon as she pulled back she had to wipe tears from her eyes. "Did you get Jace out?"

The Warlock nodded with a smile. "He's at the Jade Wolf, you're next, and then the Downworlders downstairs." Varian pulled her into another hug, happy that she was alright, the protective nature of a brother-sister bond peaking through.

The portal appeared with a wave of his hand, and she backed up to it. "Please be safe Varian."

"Of course Clary." Varian smiled, "I promise."

She nodded, and stepped through. Varian took a deep breath, letting the emptiness of the room calm him before reentering the anxiety of the rest of the ship. The path to the belly of the ship was surprisingly empty, but not suspiciously so.

Varian used the connection to Valentine as he went, pulling the smallest bit of energy from the man in a way that he knew wouldn't be noticed. Because of his concentration on the link, the room of cages was nowhere near as overwhelming as before, Varian ducked into the corner, muttering a spells as he hid in the shadows.

It was a simple spell, one that let Varian speak into the minds of anyone he wished, in this case the minds of every Downworlder trapped in the room.

"I am here to help." The words seemed to echo in every mind. "I will unlock the cages, run to the portal, help those that cannot, everyone must pass through. No Downworlder left behind."

Those listening could not respond, but Varian felt the mood of the room shift, no longer was the terror and fear the loudest emotion in the room. The light pink color of hope broke through the gloom.

Varian set his hands flat on the ground, the shudder of the engine and metal of the floor threw him off every so slightly. The locks all clicked at once, an unable to miss crack of them sliding out of place capturing the attention of the few guards in the room. 

Every Downworlder moved at once, the shouts that echoed near deafening as they ran to the middle of the room. Varian forced a portal open, widening it as large as it could go and shuddering at the strain.

Varian forced his eyes off of his hands, looking at the guards that attempted to lift their swords, they suddenly found themselves unable to move. The iron of the ship shuddering under their feet and wrapping up the bodies of each in a grip that held but did not harm.

Mentally he was counting as each and every Downworlder as they passed through, and encouraging feeling filling him as they went. The numbers dwindled, and in minutes they were gone. Even those that were passed out or injured to the extent of immobility were taken through, every Downworlder doing their part to help.

Varian's smile was bright, and as he stood the smile faded and his body swayed. The toll of the portal enough to put a brunt in the energy he had stored up, but not enough to stop the task at hand.

He started forward, his eyes glancing at every cage just to double check the Downworlders, his mind reaching out to brush at the minds of everyone on ship. No mundanes, only the twisted minds and souls of Valentine's soldiers, they could not be saved. The portal had snapped shut the second Varian stood to his feet, and because of its closing Varian took the same path he originally had to get off of the ship, creeping his way through passages and stairwells.

Varian was there, the edge of the ship within sight, and at first he thought it had been a misstep. That he had missed a stair, or caught his toe on a piece of metal, but the opposite was true.

Pain blossomed in his back, Varian passed out before he hit the deck.

Halfway across New York, Alec Lightwood shouted in his sleep, the connection to the Warlock making the wound a shared one.

Magnus Bane panicked.

The world went dark.


	54. Chapter 54

When Varian woke up, he couldn't seem to drag his eyes open for what felt like centuries. The weight of the air was to much, and it took everything in him not to pass out again. It was as if the world pressed into every pore and screamed as loud as it quite possibly could in his ears.

The pain that had blossomed in his side that had led to him passing out was nothing more than a dull ache now, his magic had taken care of the injury itself, the rest was just the aftershock of it all.

He groaned, before immediately wincing at the sheer volume of it. His head was bent backwards over the top of what he could assume was a chair, his hands bound tightly to the arms next to him. When Varian was finally able to peel his eyes open he came to the astute observation that he was entirely alone in the room, a feeling of calm passed over him at that recognition, and he felt himself sigh and relax into the chair.

There was a window, small and almost obsolete in the amount of light that it let out. The Warlock's eyes fell on the sky, the beautiful sunrise just on the other side of the glass.

The beauty of the world was such an opposite to how the boy was feeling, the bright pinks and oranges a painters canvas across the world. In any other situation, Varian would have been astonished, impressed and overall in awe, but the fear of his unknown location overwhelmed what beauty that Varian could see.

Varian tore his eyes away from the painted sky, wandering around the room and glancing at the singular metal plated door. The room was not empty of the emotions that had been in it, blue drenched the walls, tinged with a painfully bright red that could only mean one thing.

This room was not safe, and as soon as Varian came to that final realization, he started to struggle against the chains holding him to the chair. His concentration turned from the room to his hands, noticing how each finger seemed bound to the metal, it was not a painful experience, but rather a debilitating one. Without the ability to move his fingers, Varian could not use his magic, and the idea nearly sent him into a panic, though it fully explained why the world was so silent around him.

Despite every wish and want to start tugging as hard as he could in an attempt at releasing himself, Varian stopped himself, taking a deep breath and letting his eyes fall shut. The world became a distant hum, as he concentrated on the heat lingering inside his chest.

To bring the fire to the front of his mind in such an exposed and fragile state is a difficult thing, the realization of how quickly the fire would drain him was some part of the reasons behind why it was taking so long to call.

But the second Varian reopened his eyes they glowed in an unearthly way, if someone were to look on it would look like the sun shining bright in his eyes, maybe a halo just above his hair, his skin heating up aggressively before bursting into flames of white hot beautiful heat. The chains (and chair itself) melting away in just a few seconds, he doused the fire before it could get out of hand, letting himself pause briefly on his hands and knees as he took a deep and helpful breath. His shoulders lifting slightly as he did, his hands pushed hard against the ground, the heat still emanating from him created a divot in the metal floor.

The molten silver stuck to his fingers, the heat entirely missed by the Warlock as he concentrated on pushing himself to his feet. It was a struggle, and the second he did his vision swayed, the painted sunrise looking more like a Van Gogh then a Claude Monet, he started towards the door and with an easy wave of his hand the door clicked loudly before swinging without a creak.

Light led the way to the top deck, repeating the path he had taken the night before in a much more careful way then he had previously. There was no one on the deck, and no matter how suspicious that was, Varian continued unbothered, just as he reached the edge of the ship a voice spoke up from behind him.

"Rather impressive for a Warlock." The voice was so distinctly villainous, and Varian knew without a second thought that he had been caught once again, the sludge of Valentine's soul a disgusting stain on the painted sky.

Varian turned slowly. "I aim to please." There was absolutely no humor in his voice despite the fact that it was a sarcastic retort, Valentine smiled anyways, his lips stretching in a way that made the man appear inhumane.

Valentine took a few steps forward, his hands resting on the sword on his waist, though he made no attempt at using it. It was just him on the deck, and that brought just a bit of concern to the forefront of Varian's mind.

Varian's hands shook by his side, he glanced over his shoulder at the edge of the ship wishing more than anything that he had the energy to continue.

"You are the only son of Magnus Bane, High half-blood of New York." Valentine's voice had an edge to it as he spoke. "Work for me, and I'll give you all of New York as your playground. All the power you could want, all the Warlocks and Downworlders in your control."

Varian was not swayed in any way by Valentine's offer, he glared at the man. "Drop dead."

"Hmm." Valentine looked Varian up and down, before speaking again. "We've met before."

Varian did not respond. The volume of the world started to rise the longer that Varian stood against the rail, the magic that flowed through every atom giving him the strength that he would need to save himself from the situation.

Valentine stepped forward, his eyes focusing on Varian's face before flicking down to the Warlock's hands that shook by his sides. Valentine faked a sad smile.

"Pity you said no to joining me." Varian tensed at the words, turning and running at full speed to the edge of the ship, an unseen force stopping him just before he could touch the handrail. 

Hands wrapped around his arms, slamming him full speed into the metal floor of the ship. Varian bit back a cry of pain as he attempted to struggle free, a knee dug into his spine as someone else maneuvered his arms by his sides. Two new hands grabbed him by the wrist forcing his hands to lay flat on the ground, and despite his pain addled mind Varian continued to thrash and fight.

Valentines words were ominous as he spoke again, and Varian realized how unsure he was about whatever was going to happen.

"I'd hate to ruin such a powerful weapon."


	55. Chapter 55

The words were decorated with a yellow-green.

Happiness that fully revolved around the injuries and pain of someone else, and that someone was so specifically Varian, that the Warlock wasn't sure how to react. It was, of course, entirely obvious that he should fight against the hands holding him down, but the prescience of someone unworldly joining the father-son duo on the top deck distracted him.

"Let me loose." Varian's words were much more confident than he felt, and he started to struggle, to push against the hands holding him no matter the pain it caused him. Externally he would not stop, internally he was building up all possible energy in an attempt of bringing his magic to the forefront of his mind for an escape attempt.

Valentine took pride with every second that passed with Varian struggling, and in that moment the Warlock new he had to play a waiting game. He wanted Varian to struggle, and he would not comply.

Varian fell limp in the arms of the man on his back, clenching his fists together as another new Shadowhunter made an attempt to unravel his fingers. The presence inched closer, a looming force that was undoubtedly ancient. It had no emotion, a pit in the world that could only seem to steal the light from the area around it.

Maletdi.

The name was supplied without Varian realizing where it had come from, the legend reeling through his mind quickly and without pause. It was a story that his baba had muttered to him when he was just a few years into training

It started off as a nightmare, Varian woke up shouting for his baba when he was just seven years old. Shouting about a man in his dreams that tried to get close to him, a dark hollow of a man who stole from the world around him. His baba told him that that figure, that shape in the darkness was the Maletdi, and haunted the dreams of young Warlocks.

The tone was joking, the colors yellow with an undertone of grey-black, his baba was serious, and the story was a warning. It continued with a subtle rocking of Varian in his baba's arms, a comforting gesture nearly ruined by the harsh story. The Maletdi was a generation of children descended from a Greater Demon, though they all died off thousands of years ago the memory of them and what they did to Warlocks and Witches stuck around.

His baba tucked Varian back into bed with two promises; He would be right in the other side of the apartment if he needed, and that his little Bird would never see a Maletdi in real life.

The promise was, of course, accidentally broken.

Neither father or son knew of the continued existence of a Maletdi, especially one as ancient as the force that stood in front of Varian, all looming darkness and painful whispers. Varian's struggling started up again, pushing against the three bodies holding him down and pushing at the magic that wouldn't come forward.

"Ah, so you recognize my associate." Valentine's voice was a sneer, his eyes a black hole in the painted sky. "One of the last few, had to sell a few souls to get her to work for me."

And there it was, a spark just below the surface of Varian's skin, and suddenly he was on fire. The hands holding him quite literally melting away with barely a scream of pain, their bodies vanishing into nothing, the Warlock felt a passing feeling of remorse, before pushing himself to his feet and lifting his hands towards the empty space.

It was his first time seeing the form and to describe this nothingness as a woman was not the right word. She was a black hole. The area around her empty and void of something so specific that Varian couldn't place his finger on it.

The fire around him burned brighter, everything within a few feet becoming scorched or melting away in its entirety. The world started to turn, to tilt as his energy entirely drained away, the few minutes of heavenly fire a strain in his already depleted body.

Varian stumbled backwards, not minding how much the water terrified him as it was such a welcoming energy compared to the terror on deck. The handrail dug into his back, and just as he pushed himself to sit on top and fall backwards into the cool of the water the Maletdi moved, launching across the deck at a speed that was inhumane and terrifying.

It's hand reached through the heavenly fire whipping around Varian to wrap around his upper arm and the second it touched him the fire vanished. Disappearing without a trace, Varian's energy following quickly, he slumped down the side of the rail, his arse hitting the deck in a jolting way, the world so strangely dull around him.

"We've met before." Valentine had already muttered that realization before, but this time it fell on cotton thick ears, Varian's head rolling over to look at him. "Where have we met?"

The hand wrapped around his arm tightened, the world started to fade the tighter the grip. A hand smacked across Varian's cheek, the grip on his arm falling away with the jolt of the action, Varian fell to the ground. The ancient force stepped away at Valentine's command, he grabbed Varian by the chin, lifting him slightly as he looked down, a sneer on his face.

In a moment of confidence, Varian spat blood at the mans face, watching in satisfaction as it splattered across his cheek and eyes. Another smack landed on his cheek, sending him to the floor once again.

"You almost look like her." Valentine's words were taunting, he smacked Varian again to punctuate the words. "You're her brat aren't you."

Varian did not believe the words warranted a response.

"I should of known she'd start on that Werewolf the moment he we-"

It was idiotic to interrupt when Valentine had the high ground on him, he flinched despite the fact that Valentine made no move to hit him. "She didn't." It was a simple response, but it was all Valentine needed to piece the situation together.

"You're my-" Valentine almost looked shocked at the information, but that look was wiped away quickly in favor of a satisfying smile. He stood, his eyes moving to the Maledti before back down to his newfound son. "Then this will be all the better."

And then the hand was on him once again, dulling his senses the moment the grip was firm around his arm. She pulled him across the desk with a strength that she should not possess, Varian did not have the strength to pull away, his fear taking over in his mind.

Valentine began to speak, his voice soft in a threatening way.


	56. Chapter 56

"You have a power that I gave you."

Varian's hands were forced flat on the ground out in front of him, held down by the same empty feeling that decorated the air around the Maledti. His eyes couldn't focus, his every sense dulled as she pulled something from the air around her.

A stick, as dark as the world that she concurred, a metal spike sticking from the end. She smiled with a wicked twisting smile, her teeth gnarled and yellowed and crooked in her mouth. Her mouth started to move, forming words that only the unseen could hear, Varian strained against the force holding him down, wincing as the restraints tightened.

"I gave you this power." Valentine rephrased his last declaration as he kneeled in front of the Warlock. "If only I had known you'd be twins, I'd have tried something new."

The rake was positioned above the back of Varian's left hand, the first strike barely breaking through the dull crevice that his mind had become.

"I fed her Angel blood, decorated her body with feathers as she slept." Valentine was happy as he spoke, reminiscing on a time when he was in complete control of every person in his life. Every syllable of every word that he spoke was punctuated by another spike of the rake on the back of Varian's hand, the feeling barely a shock to him. "Your sister, Clarissa, she was born beautifully powerful. But I wasn't suspecting another subject."

The rake continued, and though Varian's head barely lolled with every strike, the difference in the world was ever the more obvious with every tap.

"I wonder what you would have become." Valentine's hand was strangely delicate as it brushed against the wisps of white hair on Varian's head, accidentally brushing against the spiking horns, the newest addition to the boys appearance. "That half-breed changed you."

Varian wanted to speak against Valentine, to speak up for his baba, the man who had raised him. The words wouldn't form in his mouth, falling against a limp tongue and clenched teeth. The tapping continued, sharp and piercing in his ear, the constant sound become painful in his mind.

"Turned you into some disgusting destroyed Shadowhunter." Valentine laughed a dry laugh, the sound harsh in his mind. He stood, the anger rolling off of him in droves, the red air around him flickering the longer that the tapping happened on his hands. "You're a disgrace to the Morgenstern name-"

"I'm not a Morgenstern!" It took so much to just utter those four words, his head clunking against the deck as he attempted to pull his hands from the black emptiness holding his wrists to the deck.

The Maledti started a second line, an inch below the first, a half inch wide. A perfect replica of the first line, Varian started to feel the pain of it all, an ache forming in the back of his left hand the more the tapping continued.

Valentine's voice was deathly calm as he spoke again, his hand moving to his belt, pulling a knife and baring it to him. "You will always be a Morgenstern." He stepped forward, feel threateningly close to the wrist that he had broken weeks before. The Maledti did not flinch, but Varian sure did, his hands dug against the restraints, but his fingers wouldn't bend.

The man bent once again, with an easy swipe of the knife against Varian's cheek blood pooled on the blade. A hiss passed through the Warlock's lips, the pain cutting through the dull ache that the Maledti had put over him.

The smile on the Shadowhunters face was wicked as he held the blood up to the light, perfectly red and staining the painted sky as it dropped from the blade to the deck. "The same blood that runs through my veins, made you, runs through you. You are just as wicked as me."

The Maledti passed over him, starting on the right hand, the left laying limp and unrestrained against the deck. Varian couldn't see the world in the way it was. The constant brightness that filled the world dulled in such a way that terrified the Warlock.

"You are just as wicked as me." Valentine spoke the words once again, lifting the knife to his mouth and licking the drops of blood off of the blade with a gruesome smile. "Say goodbye to the world you knew."

It was ominous, and if Varian had even the slightest bit of energy he would question why.

The first bar was completed on his right hand, the second beginning almost immediately. The Maledti entirely unphased by the spoken taunts of Valentine, her mouth still forming words just on the cusp of Varian's hearing.

"What-" The word was interrupted by a sharp stab of pain in the Warlocks hands, the dullness beginning to fade as the second bar was nearly complete.

"'And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him.'" Valentine's words echoed, the tapping growing all the louder as his mind started to realize what exactly was happening to his body, to his mind, to his hands. "'And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the Earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the Earth.'"

And suddenly the world fell silent, the second bar was complete, and everything that the Warlock was before was suddenly obsolete. The world noticed the absence of Varian, the absence of the power that the Warlock had wielded.

The Maledti stood, backing up a few feet, and despite the hope that Varian felt that her presence would help the dullness to disappear it did not. Valentine looked at her in a proud way, smiling brightly as he thanked her in a vocal way.

His sword pulled from his sheath in a moment, arching peacefully through the air before sinking hilt deep into her stomach. She opened her mouth in a voiceless scream, before crashing in on her own form and disappearing with a loud cymbal crash.

It echoed across the water, the last of a species so effortlessly destroyed at the hands of a vile man for his own enjoyment.

Valentine turned on Varian, grabbing at his hands in an indelicate way, not minding the shout of pain that passed through the Warlocks lips. "Such lovely work." He grinned, lips spreading across his face in a way that made him seem so villainous. "You were her last victim, and what a last hurrah she got."

Varian screamed as Valentine lifted him up by his hair, tears pouring down his cheeks as he tried to struggle free. Every jolt to his hands was like fire in his veins, the world wouldn't react the way he needed. Valentine pinned him against the rail of the ship.

"Just one more thing." Valentine muttered it, gripping Varian by the back of his head to hold him steady, his knife lifting to press into his hair.

The shouts that ripped through Varian echoed through the bay, every corner of New York feeling the agony of someone powerful being stripped of all of his power, everything that made him him. The sawing motion shoved at Varian's neck with every back and forth, a sickening crack sounding before the sawing continued.

"Tada." The words fell on hollow ears, his head was pushed back and Valentine held pieces of him in the air as a trophy. His little horns, the newest addition to the Warlocks appearance, the part that Ragnor Fell gave to him, dripping with blood as Valentine smiled proudly. "And they shall be made to crawl on their bellies to enter the kingdom of darkness."

And with one final motion Valentine pushed the young Warlock over the railing, and Varian sunk into the cool blew water of the Hudson below.

~~~~

The first quote is Revelations 6:8.

The second is from Dante's 'Inferno'.


	57. Chapter 57

Et unus talea per, est silentium imposuisset.

The words started the moment Alec woke, Latin phrases missing to many words for the Shadowhunter to translate.

Et secundus, mundus ferrum.

Jace was there for only a moment when Alec first came to, his hand wrapped in Alec's and the brightest smile on his face when they he had realized that his Parabatai was alright. There were hugs and tears and happy smiles, but all the while the world was slightly off, something was missing.

Et, mens vacua remansit.

Or more specifically someone, but the thought on who was interrupted by Victor Aldertree storming through Magnus Bane's apartment and demanding the arrest of Jace Wayland. The room fell silent as Magnus focused on Alec's health, offering potions and concoctions that all tasted foul but did wonders for how he felt.

Et quartus, est abiit.

"Where is Varian?" The question was finally asked, and the answer was not in an way comforting.

Magnus paused while mixing drinks, and Clary couldn't seem to form the right words. It was Izzy to speak. "He got Clary off the ship, and Jace, and a couple hundred Downworlders-"

"It was really impressive." Clary piped in, her voice higher pitched than usual.

Alec shifted in his bed, pushing himself up to rest on his elbows as he glared down his sister in a way that told her to tell the truth. He asked again; "Where is Varian?"

"He hasn't shown up." Magnus' voice was firm, but quiet. A sadness hidden behind the words as he turned, a martini in hand. "No ones seen him, and the ship hasn't shown up on any radars as abandoned-"

"There's no way Valentine would continue to use a location that's been compromised." Alec supplied, ignoring the ache in his back and his shoulders as he pushed himself into a seated position before finally into a standing one. There was a shuffle in his steps as he walked forward, ignoring the way his sister put her hands out to him to make sure he didn't fall.

Magnus was the one to interrupt his thoughts. "I can't feel his magic anymore." It was barely above a whisper, and when Alec looked at him the High Warlock was clutching at his chest as though it ached in a painful way.

The words made Alec panic, his heart started beating harder in his chest the longer he thought about his boyfriend disappearance. The last time Varian had disappeared at such a level he showed up nearly two days later with a broken wrist and a bruised face.

"We need to find him."

And the moment the words left his mouth an image appeared in his head, a cloudy haze flashed over his eyes and he was no longer in Magnus Bane's apartment.

The sound of the Hudson river was the first thing that Alec noticed, waves lapping against the shore, beating against the rocks in a way that could have been peaceful if Alec could understand what was going on. The sun had risen hours ago, but the clouds still wanted to be pink and purple, the moon sat just behind him.

Alec took a step forward, not missing the way his foot hovered above the rocks below him. A groan echoed strangely, as if spoken through a dream, and just on the edge of the water half sunken was Varian.

The world twisted back into reality, Magnus stood inches from him, a hand lifted to reach out to him, his mouth forming Alec's name repeatedly.

"I know where he is." Alec reached out, acting in a way that he didn't understand, his hand pressed into Magnus' hand sharing the image with the Warlock.

Magnus' eyes widened in panic, and with an easy snap of his fingers a portal formed beside them. "We have to go, Varian can't swim and that's the bank of the Hudson River that you showed me."

Everyone moved without any further prompting, dashing through the portal and landing on the other side with an easy bend of their knees. Immediately they all spread out, scanning the rocks and docks that decorated the shore line.

"Find him!" Magnus' voice was panicked as he shouted the command, practically sprinting up and down the shore line without regards for his own safety. The idea of his son being in the one place that made him panic no matter the situation made tears form in his eyes. "Come on Birdie, where are you?"

It was spoken as a mumble, just under his breath as his eyes flitted from crevice to crevice, trying to find his son. Alec could practically feel the panic rolling off of him, his movements much slower, more practiced as he moved from rock to rock in an attempt of being careful but still moving fast enough to be practical.

"I've got him!"

It was Izzy who made the satisfactory call, the shout that made everyone breath deeply and forget their troubles for just a moment. Their favorite Warlock had been found, and all four converge on the unconscious form.

Alec took him from Izzy, holding him tight to his chest as he pressed two steady fingers into the side of his neck, the beating of his heart slow but strong. Alec practically sobbed in relief as Magnus dropping to his knees on the other side of Varian, pressing a hand to his chest and muttering a spell in a language that Alec didn't recognize.

The moment the spell stopped, Varian looked better, if that were possible. His skin flushed with color, if anything making the bruising and scrapes on his face look worse. Varian's eyes cracked open ever so slightly, moving almost in a daze between his baba and boyfriend.

When his mouth opened a scraping voice passed through, one that surely did not belong to the soft spoken boy in Alec's arms.

"Et unus talea per, mundi est silentium imposuisset. Et secundus, mundus fuerit ferrum." It was the same words that had been echoing in Alec's head since he'd woke up. His mind supplying that the words came from the deep sleep that the Parabatai tracking had caused, rather than his connection to Varian. "Et tertius, mens vacua remansit. Et quartus, magicae est abiit."

Varian's eyes fell shut almost immediately afterwards, his breathing shallow but steady. Alec looked up at Magnus, the question of what the words meant dying on his lips at the panic in the Warlocks eyes.

In a flurry of movement that elicited a whimper of pain from Varian, Magnus gripped both of his sons hands in his own, a sob passing through his mouth as they were held in the light for all to see.

The beautiful hands that had one held Alec's so delicately, the beautiful hands that could form a portal with a flick of a pinky and make fire dance across the room, now marred by two black bars over the back of each hand. Crusted with blood, and obviously tender to the touch.

The sudden silence of the world all the more loud as the four realized what was missing;

The hum of a Warlock more powerful than the rest, his magic now obsolete and drifting through the empty cavernous voids of the world.

Valentine Morgenstern will pay for this.

~~~~

Et unus talea per, mundi est silentium imposuisset. Et secundus, mundus fuerit ferrum. Et tertius, mens vacua remansit. Et quartus, magicae est abiit.

Latin Text: Translation--- And with one bar, the world is silenced. And with the second, the world is dull. And with the third, the mind is empty. And with the fourth, the magic is gone.


End file.
